The Gift of the Gods
by AnotherKindOfStory
Summary: Sequel to The Curse of the Gods. The next arc following the lives of Hiccup and Toothless after the events of the first arc. The two dragons are living peacefully in the village of Berk as mates when newcomers from a far off land arrive. As soon as these strangers arrive, one destructive event after another splits Berk apart. Contains Toothcup, Yaoi, and Violence.
1. Chapter 1

_**First chapter of the next Arc**_

_**Link to first Arc - s/10464963/1/The-Curse-of-the-Gods**_

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><p>"It's been a few months since Dagur was killed. That gory and gruesome image burns whenever I think of it. It's times like these when I wish I wasn't able to remember so much detail. Am I bad person for feeling relieved when he died? I ask myself that just about everyday. I don't think I'll ever find an answer to that. One more bad memory to add to my collection. Oh, I celebrated my birthday a few days ago. Seventeen now. Time really does fly though...considering I was fifteen when I first met Toothless, I turned sixteen not too long before I turned into...well, a dragon. Its almost been a year since I changed, in another week, give or take a day. Speaking of being a dragon, I'm having so much trouble writing this. Claws are such a pain to use, but we're getting better. Toothless is trying his hardest too, though he is taking longer than I am since he's never had any past experience to go on with this type of stuff. The island's getting warm again...well, as warm as it gets, but I don't really have much of a problem with the cold anymore. Strange, right? Guess dragons can keep themselves pretty warm. Toothless and I have been going strong as mates, no major fights yet, just little stuff that we usual end up laughing about a few minutes later. I really wish you were here to see it, our wedding. I really wish you where here to see a lot of things. I really wish I didn't know you would never be able to read this. I really don't know why I gave writing in this thing a shot. When Tooth and I got married, and I realized that you weren't there. When I looked around me and saw every with their mom and dad like a big family...I just finally...snapped. Something inside just hurts. It hurts knowing I can never appreciate something I never got to have."<p>

Hiccup put down his pencil, deciding it would be best to stop writing. The dragon slowly closed the book, having written it in plenty for the day, though, he only wrote in it once or twice a week. He thought it would be interesting to have a journal and keep track of where he's been. Hiccup realized after the second time he wrote in it, that it wasn't a book full of life, it was one full of wishes, and rants, and lots of venting. He honestly felt kind of ashamed, feeling that he wasn't dealing with his problems, just writing them in a book and storing them away. The pain would disappear momentarily, but he knew that it would return after a while.

A sudden slam made Hiccup jump out of his skin. Looking towards the window, he saw the small wooden door slightly ajar again, being pushed and closed every few seconds from the passing wind. The dragon took a deep breath and shook his head. Taking the journal, he placed it on the shelf next to his inventions journal, which he started tinkering in again, and his copy of the Book of Dragons, routinely making edits to it. Hiccup's gaze lingered on those books, remembering how life was before. As hard a Hiccup tried for his old life, the harder it seem to become to obtain it. The dragon looked down at his claws, a longing he hadn't felt for some time returned for a brief moment, quickly replaced with anger.

"Don't think like that," Hiccup whispered to himself, "Besides, 'I don't know' isn't an answer anymore. You've already made a choice." The dragon ran his paws over his head and walked towards the door, purging his mind of those annoying thoughts of his. With a few steps and many loud creaks, he made his way down the stairs and into the living area. The fire pit was dead, lacking any wood to begin with, the kitchen was clean as could be, and the house lacked a certain vibrance that was usually present.

"Stay here he says," Hiccup said boredly, "It'll be boring he says, you'll get bored like you always do on patrols he says," The dragon made hand gestures, mimicking Toothless' voice and behavior as best he could while walking towards the door. Rolling his eyes, more so at himself than at Toothless, he picked up his bag and slung it around his arms. Next to his bag was the makeshift bulletin board the two had made and attached to it was a list of groceries and other things the two might throughout the week. Pulling it from its place, Hiccup read over it quickly and stuck it in his bag.

Stepping outside the door, a sudden gust of wind blew past him bringing with it the sounds of the village. Closing the door behind him, Hiccup walked into the market. It was always convenient that the two lived right next to the market, though it did sometimes get noisy, and sometimes, they were the ones who might be a bit too noisy. That certainly made going outside for the next few days a bit awkward.

Stopping and checking his list again, Hiccup quietly strolled through the stalls, picking up everything the two might need. He passed by Snotlout's usual stall, not seeing him there. It took a few moments for Hiccup to remember he wasn't running it anymore. It had nearly been a year, but everyone had changed, grown up, moved on in their own way. They all talked and hung out as they used too, but the atmosphere changed, changed in a good way. They were closer. Not just the humans, but the dragons as well inside the group. They were all like a family, a weird, makeshift one, but a family no less. Before he realized it, Hiccup was back at home, setting his groceries down in the kitchen.

"Don't get all nostalgic on me Hiccup," the dragon said to himself jokingly, though, he knew that lately, it was all he found himself doing.

"You're supposed to be making new memories not mulling over old ones," Hiccup said, "What's wrong with how things are now? Is it because things have changed? Well tough, life changes, get used to it. You've done it plenty of times before. Oh wait, you're scared because you know you're growing up..." The dragon trailed off, feeling as if his voice wasn't his own for a second there. A voice that was telling him the truth.

"So thats it...huh?" Hiccup whispered to himself softly. Feeling that urge once again, Hiccup walked to his room, wanting to write in his journal again. To him, it was like writing facts into the book, his deepest, sometimes darkest thoughts. Pushing open the door, his grip faded away from the door only to have it get pushed back into his arm. Rubbing his shoulder out of habit, not out of pain, he saw the window was pushed open again. Walking over to the window, his paws met with either side of the windows small doors when a curious sight met his eyes. A ship was docking, a ship he'd never seen before. The design didn't resemble any viking ship Hiccup had ever seen before. Hiccup's curiosity had peaked and he had to know where this ship came from. Flexing his tail, prosthetic, and his wings, the dragon lept from the window and flew down towards the docks. Getting closer, he saw his dad standing near where the ship would soon be docking.

With a soft thump, Hiccup touched the ground gracefully. Stoick looked over and smiled at his son, walking towards him short ways. Meeting him halfway, Hiccup gestured towards he boat questioningly.

"I've never seen that ship before," Hiccup said curiously, "An old friend of yours?" Stoick glanced back at the ship, seeing that it had docked. The chief shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"No," he said truthfully, "All I can tell is that the design comes from an asian country." Hiccup raised a brow and tilted his head in confusion.

"Are you sure it's from Asia?" Hiccup asked, "Why would they come so far away from their home?" Stoick shook his head, glancing back at the boat, seeing a man getting off the ship with the assistance of some vikings.

"Stay here," Stoick said, "Don't draw attention to yourself." The chief walked off towards the newcomer. Hiccup stared at his father with a bit of surprise.

"You do realize I'm talking dragon right?" Hiccup whispered to himself, staying where his father had left him obediently.

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><p>Stoick walked confidently towards the docked vessel, watching as his vikings tried their best to talk with the newcomer. Seeing their chief walking towards them, the younger vikings left the negotiating to their superior and went off to tend to other duties. Stoick and the newcomer stood face to face, well, more like face to chest. The newcomer was short, and scrawny, definitely showing some age and was of asian decent. He had short, black hair and soft features that magnified his sharp eyes. For a few moments, the two stood in uncomfortable silence, neither quite sure what should be said.<p>

"May I help you?" Stoick said, trying his hardest not to come off as rude. The man flinched a little hearing Stoick, as if he hadn't heard a strong voice in ages. This newcomer was different in the way he carried himself.

"I...believe so," the newcomer said softly. Stoick almost recoiled in surprise hearing such flawless Norse being spoken to him. The man glanced around, making eye contact with Hiccup before quickly turning his gaze back to Stoick.

"Is this the island called Berk?" the newcomer asked with more intensity. Stoick glanced over at Hiccup, being met with a curious gaze before turning back to the man.

"Yes," Stoick said cautiously, "What business do you have here?" The newcomer turned back and yelled something to his ship. Stoick reached down for his sword quickly, not quite sure what to expect. Within a few moments, a young boy made his way down onto the dock. Stoick slowly removed his hand from his sword and watched as the boy came closer. He couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen years old. He was scrawny, like the man, but he had more of an edge to him, the type of edge survivors have. The boy stood there, eyes fixated on the ground in front of him.

"We came to seek refuge," the newcomer said, "My name is Ken, and this is my son Tatsuo. We've come a long way seeking refuge among your vikings." Stoick looked at Ken with confusion, wondering why they chose Berk of all places.

"All of the places, why Berk?" Stoick asked. Ken looked over towards Hiccup and backed towards Stoick.

"We heard rumours you made peace with dragons," Ken said softly. Stoick looked over towards Hiccup, who was now scraping his claws along the boards in agitation. After a few moments, Stoick slowly drew his hand up and motioned Hiccup closer. Turning back, Stoick noticed a bit of tension filling Ken's body as Hiccup came closer. Sitting next to Stoick, Hiccup eyed the two foreigners with curiosity.

"We do live in harmony with the dragons," Stoick started off, "but why does that interest you?" Ken brought his hand behind his son and brought him forward slightly. Stoick hadn't noticed before, but here was a visible bulge in the boy's shirt, as if he was packing on some weight.

"A boy?" Hiccup said accidently, the words slipping from his mouth. As soon as the words left, Hiccup brought up a paw to his mouth and looked away quickly as if he didn't do anything wrong.

"Why do you look so embarassed?" Ken asked suddenly, staring at Hiccup, "Is there some custom I am not aware off?" Stoick opened his mouth to speak but wasn't quite what he would say in response.

"No?" Hiccup said, "You're no surprised by a talking dragon?" Ken laughed and patted his son on the shoulder, making the boy jump a little at the contact.

"Of course not!" Ken said, shaking his head slightly, "All dragons talk." Stoick and Hiccup looked at each other weirdly and looked back towards the newcomers.

"Where are you from exactly?" Stoick asked. Ken looked over at the sea that flew into the horizon in an endless expanse.

"Japan, and we came here to seek refuge," Ken said, repeating what he said earlier. Stoick scratched his head and took a breath.

"You still haven't answered me," Stoick said with a tinge of agitation in his voice, "Why does Berk interest you?" Ken once again motioned towards his son who continued looking towards the floorboards. Hiccup looked at the boy and noticed the bulge in his shirt.

"Is there something wrong with him?" Stoick asked. Ken shook his head and turned to his son, whispering in his ears in his native tongue. Tatsuo slowly looked up, his eyes dim with an exhausted look. The boy reached down at the bulge in his shirt and rubbed it. The bulge suddenly moved, snaking its way up the boys shirt and popping out of the collar.

"A dragon?" Hiccup said. Sure enough, it was a young dragon. It was a soft blue color, with a lighter shade trailing down his underbelly, and darker fur flowing down its head and back. It had short whiskers and dull teeth, but had big grey eyes that stared at Hiccup with curiosity and innocence.

"Hi!" the little dragon said eagerly, smiling as he stared at the vikings, "You look weird!" Hiccup tilted his head at the little dragon, trying to figure out what breed of dragon it was.

"I've never seen anything like you before," Hiccup finally managed to say. Getting closer, Hiccup soaked in the details of the little one, curious about its smallers features. The little dragon jumped from Tatsuo's shirt and clasped onto Hiccup's face. Hiccup slowly drew back to where he was standing, staring at two big grey eyes.

"You have green eyes!" the little dragon said, "They're pretty!" Hiccup looked into the dragon's eyes, quite mesmerized by his little face.

"Thank you," Hiccup said softly, his voice suddenly changing to a much sweeter tone, "My name is Hiccup." The little dragon sounded out the name and repeated it back to the Night Fury.

"Hiccup?" the little dragon said again, "My name is Ryuu." Following the same pattern, he sounded out his own name before repeating it back to the Night Fury. Suddenly the dragon was off Hiccup's face and being slid back into Tatsuo's shirt. Ryuu looked up at the boy, clearly annoyed but stayed where he was.

"You sailed all this way on the rumour that we lived with dragons?" Stoick said, slightly amazed by their tenacity, and by their hopelessness.

"Yes," Ken answered back quickly, "Will you let us stay, Mr...Mr...?"

"Stoick, and this is my son Hiccup," Stoick said, "Listen, I can't make a decision like this on my own, you'll have to come with me and we'll have a general assembly to decide." Ken nodded and followed Stoick towards the Great Hall, leaving Hiccup, Tatsuo, and Ryuu alone. Hiccup watched as Stoick and Ken disappeared out of sight and turned back towards Tatsuo, curious about these newcomers. Not surprisingly, the two had vanished back onto the ship, leaving a lone Night Fury staring at empty space.

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><p>Hiccup stood alone in his house, mildly going over the events in his head. It wasn't often newcomers came to the island, and it certainly wasn't often those newcomers traveled so far. Strong arms wrapped around the smaller dragon and pulled him in close. Hiccup let out a yelp of terror and jump in the larger dragon's arms. Toothless just laughed as he slowly swayed the two of them.<p>

"I'm sorry," Toothless said softly.

"No you're not," Hiccup responded coldly.

"You're right," Toothless said, licking his love's head in affection, "How has your day gone?" Hiccup took a deep breath and slowly sighed.

"Unexpectedly," Hiccup said softly, rubbing his eyes for a moment, "We've got new arrivals from distant lands, and a new dragon as well." Toothless stopped the swaying momentarily, but continued on.

"A new dragon?" the Night Fury said with curiosity. Hiccup nodded his head in confirmation, recalling the details of the little Ryuu.

"His names Ryuu," Hiccup said, "and I've never seen a dragon like him before."

"Oh really?" Toothless said, "Remember when you'd never seen a dragon like me before?" Hiccup laughed softly and nodded.

"Oh I remembered," Hiccup said, "Nearly popped my eardrums too." Toothless licked his love again and laughed softly.

"That was before I knew how amazingly sexy you were," Toothless said. Hiccup shook his head, letting a little chuckle escape his mouth.

"Smooth," Hiccup said teasingly, "How did the patrol go?" Toothless rested his chin on Hiccup's head, much to the displeasure of the smaller dragon.

"Nothing too out of the ordinary," Toothless said boredly, "Had to break up a fight between a Nightmare and a Nadder, who turned out to be Hookfang and Stormfly. Well, it wasn't really a fight, more of Stormfly whipping the hell out of Hookfang."

"Hookfang flirted with her?" Hiccup asked. Toothless smiled and nodded, lifting his head up from his comfortable headrest. Hiccup rubs his head slightly and then turned around in his love's arms. Hiccup wrapped his paws around Toothless' neck and kissed him gently, relishing in the moment. Pulling away, Hiccup rested his head on Toothless, feeling his warmth surround him.

"Is it bad I miss the excitement we used to have in our life?" Hiccup said softly, "I know it was dangerous and sometimes stressful, but life's getting so boring." Toothless smiled and licked Hiccup's head again.

"I know what you mean," Toothless said softly, "but for now, our next adventure should involve making lunch." Hiccup smiled and nodded.

"Always my love," Hiccup said as the two turned towards the counter and worked on preparing their lunch. Together, in a warm and loving silence, they worked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the wait. I had a busy week, but I hope you'll enjoy the latest chapter.**

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><p>The wind howled in the night air, pushing and shoving against the trees as it made its way into the cold sky. The brilliant sparkling of the night stars offset the subtle moaning and groaning of wooden houses being mercilessly attacked by the cruel midnight gusts. A specific Night Fury sat alone in his room, artfully moving one paw in methodical, yet graceful motions. He was accurate in his strokes, but still retained a sense of deviation and individuality. The softly lit room was alive, yet quite all at the same time. While no words were spoken, the air was alive with a song comprised of howling winds, creaking wood, and the soft, rhythmic scribblings of charcoal on paper.<p>

No matter what Hiccup did, he just couldn't sleep. In order to cure this bad case of restlessness, he picked up his usual habit, drawing. He wasn't as good as he used to be, but the Night Fury was improving quickly, almost to his former glory. His strokes were as precise as they once were and his marks weighed heavier under his paw. The dragon picked up a cloth and wiped away a mark best he could before returning to the interesting contraption. Hiccup slowly redrew the previous line, making it much neater and accurate to his internal design. Setting the pencil down, Hiccup looked at his work. A strap looking device that was designed to fit around Hiccup or Toothless' paw and went a small button the side is pressed it, a knife swings out ready for battle. Hiccup was rather proud of himself, knowing he and Toothless would have a way to defend themselves since their claws weren't particularly sharp to begin with. The more he thought about the design, the more Hiccup realized its subtle flaws. What if one of them were to accidentally flip the switch and the blade pops out? On top of that, how was he going to make it less bulky?

Scratching his head lightly with one paw, Hiccup slowly turned the page with the other, looking at a blank page free of any marks. Picking up the pencil, Hiccup set it down lightly against the paper. Hiccup's mind wandered from one idea to the next until he eventually floated to the day's events and the little dragon he met. After a few moments, Hiccup blinked his eyes a few moment, noticing he was drawing little Ryuu. The dragon was adorable and so innocent. Seeing Ryuu spurred something inside Hiccup that he was sure he'd never felt before. No, this feeling was familiar, but with a different tinge to it.

A few minutes ticked by and Hiccup had drawn out a new scene, one that was imprinted in Hiccup's mind. His imagination ran wild with each curving and straight line. There was Toothless, and Hiccup, and a small little dragon in between them. Each dragon looked happy and content, grateful for what they had and ready for a happy life together. A family, something Hiccup had wanted since...well...just about forever. Hiccup slammed he book shut when he felt paws softly wrap around him. Looking down at his paws, Hiccup tried his best not to show any embarrassment.

"Did I interrupt something?" Toothless asked groggily. Hiccup shook his head in response.

"I get the feeling you don't want to talk about it," Toothless said, his head nodding as he struggled to remain awake, "Come back to bed." Hiccup shook his head again this time, pushing the book off to the side quickly.

"I'm not tired," Hiccup said, fiddling with a pencil in his hand. Toothless quickly jerked his hand to the side, grabbing the book and flipping it open. Hiccup let out a small screech of terror and lunged for the book only to fall on the ground as Toothless sidestepped his mate. Flipping to the last entered page, he stared at the page. Hiccup rushed him, only to have Toothless' other paw pressed against his head, keeping him at a distance as Hiccup's paws flailed to get the book back.

"No, stop!" Hiccup half begged. When Toothless' arm weakened for a moment, Hiccup lunged ontop of him, bringing them both down to the ground with a loud thunk. With his arm still outstretched, Toothless kept the book away from the smaller Night Fury.

"Hey, hey!" Toothless said teasingly, "Now what do I get if I give you back this little book of yours?" Hiccup glared at his counterpart, ready to pounce again if he needed but quickly realized it would only result in more struggling before he would inevitably fail against the larger Night Fury.

"You can do anything you want to me," Hiccup said seductively, running a claw up Toothless' chest. The larger dragon blushed and smiled at the remark, quickly bringing his paw closer to Hiccup, letting the dragon snatch away the book.

"So make that one I.O.U.," Hiccup said, getting up off the floor. Toothless let out a small whine of disappointment and flopped back down onto the bed, letting his face fall flat into the soft covers. After a few moments of silence, Toothless spoke up, his smooth voice filling the room quickly.

"Is that what you want?" Toothless asked. Hiccup froze for a moment, feeling his heart beat heavily. Hiccup nodded softly and stared down at his book. The smaller dragon could hear subtle shuffling before the room went quite once again. Glancing back, Hiccup caught sight of Toothless running his paws up and down his head.

"You know we can't," Toothless said softly. Hiccup fully turned around to face Toothless, obviously caught off guard by the sudden denial.

"What do you man we can't?" Hiccup asked with slight conviction. Toothless looked up from the floor and stared into his loves eyes, seeing the despair that flowed through them.

"For one, we're both guys," Toothless started off, stating the obvious, "Two, you aren't, we aren't ready for a family. We're both still young, and we've only been mates for a few months." Hiccup stared at Toothless with confusion.

"There are plenty of vikings younger than us both that are married and have children, and I'm sure there are dragons who had children only a few months after becoming mates," Hiccup said in his defense. Toothless shook his head, getting up from his position.

"Hiccup, I know you want this, and I really do too, but we are not ready for something like this. We've still got our youth and we should enjoy it while we can," Toothless insisted, "Even if we wanted a family, it would be next to impossible to have one."

"What do you mean by that?" Hiccup asked, sounded slightly offended, "I know I'm not a female, but there are options available for us Tooth!" Toothless groaned a little bit, shaking his head some more.

"Hiccup we can't, not right now, not for a while," Toothless said.

"Why can't we Toothless? Is it because I'm not ready? Am I not capable of being a good father?" Hiccup asked with more and more urgency. With each exchange of words, Hiccup got more and more bent out of shape.

"Hiccup you know that isn't what I'm saying," Toothless said, raising his voice out of frustration, "It's not like we can just walk into the words and find an orphaned or abandoned baby dragon!" The wind pushed harder against the wooden house, making it creak with greater intensity than before.

"Who says we have to go find one? Ryuu is all on his own! There are viking children without parents!" Hiccup retaliated.

"No, we cannot adopt a human child!" Toothless persisted tirelessly.

"Why? You think his life would be too difficult with dragon parents?" Hiccup asked angrily.

"Thats not what I'm saying Hiccup," Toothless said, trying to calm himself down.

"You think we couldn't care for him properly?" Hiccup asked again, with greater annoyance.

"No Hiccup!" Toothless said, raising his voice again.

"What! What about us makes it so impossible to have a family!" Hiccup nearly yelled into the air. The Night Fury's voice reverberated around the room, creating a very faint echo in Toothless' ears as the words weighed heavy on the line maintaining his cool.

"Because our how long we live Hiccup!" Toothless finally barked out, "We'll long outlive that kid!" Hiccup's snapped shut quickly, his face turning to one of pure terror.

"We...we what?" Hiccup asked again. The color drained from Toothless' face when he realized what he let slip. Hiccup, with the book held tightly against his chest, slowly began to back out of the room, tears welling up in the dragons eyes.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything at all!" Toothless insisted with a bit of fear in his voice, "Just...just come over here and we'll talk about it okay?" Hiccup slowly shook his head, pushing the door open as his tail pushed against it.

"You...you never told me," Hiccup squeaked out, "Why didn't you tell me Tooth?" Toothless felt his own eyes water for a few moments, seeing his love take the book in his mouth and rush out of the room and down the stairs. Chasing after him, Toothless only caught a glimpse of his love's tail as it slinked around the door and out into the cold night.

"Why does he always have to wear his prosthetics," Toothless cursed to himself. By the time the dragon fumbled getting his own fin on, Hiccup was long gone. Looking into the night sky, Toothless saw nothing but the stars and the moon and no sign of his beloved Night Fury.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" Toothless yelled, his voice getting louder with each curse he said, "You just had to open you stupid damn mouth!" The Night Fury didn't know what to do next, but each passing moment brought the dragon closer and closer to tears. He just told his love he was immortal compared to his loved ones. He was doomed to live several human lifetimes before his own time would come. Everyone he knew would be gone, everyone he loved would die in front of him, no one but Toothless and a few dragons would remain with him. Toothless could only begin to grasp the feelings of immense despair and sadness his love was experiencing. Its one thing to outlive a friend or two, but Hiccup had to go through that with everyone. Generation after generation would come and go, and the two Night Furies would remain, unchanged, hardly aged, and disconnected from the tribe they once helped thrive.

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><p>Hiccup sat alone, his sketchbook still held firmly against his chest. He was curled into himself, silent tears falling out of his eyes. They made no sound as they rolled off the dragon's cheeks and landed wherever they were destined to go.<p>

The Night Fury's chest felt heavy, yet hollow at the same time. He hadn't felt like this in quite a while and he hoped it would've stayed that way. He felt he should've been angry at Toothless for not telling him, but his mind and heart were more full of grief and sorrow than anything else.

"I don't know if I can do this," Hiccup whispered into the air, "I don't know if I can watch them grow old and die right in front of me..." The wind seemed to disappear hearing the sorrowful words of the solitary dragon. Stars twinkling in the moonlight danced overhead as if trying to cheer up the dragon whose life was just flipped yet again.

"At least I won't have to worry about wrinkles for a while," Hiccup whispered to himself in a desperate attempt to cheer himself up. The smile that briefly illuminated his face died and was replaced with a dark face of indifference. It was one thing to completely transform into a dragon, but Hiccup didn't realize that his whole life would be changed. He couldn't walk the same path as his friends and family anymore. In the great and fantastic story of Hiccup, they would only be there for the first act.

Soft footsteps attracted Hiccups attention. A boy came into view, staring down at his feet as he walked, not really paying attention to where he was going. The boy stopped and looked up, staring directly at Hiccup. It was one of the newcomers, the boy who had Ryuu with him. Looking over his body, Hiccup noticed the little dragon wasn't with him. The dragon turned his attention away from the boy and towards the night sky. The footsteps returned with a softer touch and a tinge of hesitation.

"Do you...mind if I sit with you?" the boy asked with a rough voice. Hiccup glanced up, caught off guard by his coarse voice. The dragon nodded and turned back to the skies. He wasn't too comfortable with having a stranger so close to him, but he really wasn't in the mood to fight with anything. Right now, he just wanted to be with his thoughts and as long as the boy didn't disturb him, he really didn't care. Shuffling sounds moved through the air as the boy sat down near Hiccup. Glancing over, Hiccup noticed the extended stare the boy was giving him. This continued for a few more moments before Hiccup became increasingly annoyed.

"Do you need something?" Hiccup said, coming off a bit more rude than he had wished. The boy blinked a few times then shook his head. His stare continued for a few more moments before he looked towards the sky. Hiccup shrugged lightly and stared at the ground, trying to regain his train of thought.

"You said your name was Hiccup?" the boys said with strange accent. Hiccup breathed out lightly and closed his eyes. Nodding his head, Hiccup opened his eyes and looked towards the sky again, staring into the endless expanses of dancing and parading stars.

"Why are you the only dragon around here that talks?" the boy asked again. The questions annoyed Hiccup to no end.

"I should've said no," Hiccup thought to himself, regretting every decision he's made that led up to this point.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup said, trying to avoid answering any questions, "I didn't catch your name." The boy looked at Hiccup with an indifferent face, one that was genuinely static. Did this kid even show emotion?

"Tatsuo," the boy said sharply as if annoyed by his own name, "Why don't the dragons talk?" The boy was persistent alright.

"I don't know what its like in Japan," Hiccup said, getting more annoyed as time went by, "but dragons don't talk here." Tatsuo looked at Hiccup with sharp, almost dangerous eyes.

"Then why do you talk? Why do the people here act like they can hear the dragons? Why do they have conversations with them?" Tatsuo prodded even more, turning to face Hiccup. Hiccup groaned slightly, just wanting to be left alone.

"Drop it," Hiccup said, getting up from his position, "I'm leaving." Tatsuo stood up quickly, making it clear he wasn't happy.

"Answer my questions," Tatsuo said, taking a few steps towards Hiccup.

"Work on your manners and I might just consider it," Hiccup said, turning his head towards Tatsuo. The boy took another step towards Hiccup, standing right in front of him. Hiccup turned towards him, sitting on his tail to face him. Tatsuo was taller than Hiccup an originally thought, but still stood a few inches below Hiccup. Without warning, the boy grabbed Hiccup's face and kissed him. The dragon froze in complete shock for a moment before shoving Tatsuo away. The boy tumbled backwards and fell onto the ground.

"The hell do you think you're doing?" Hiccup said angrily, wiping his mouth in disgust. Tatsuo looked confused.

"Did I misread the situation?" the boy said almost innocently. Hiccup couldn't believe this kid.

"I'd say so," the Night Fury said with slight disgust, "Why the hell would you kiss a dragon?" Tatsuo looked confused again as if Hiccup was questioning something basic and routine.

"Are human and dragon relationships not a custom here?" Tatsuo asked, standing back up. Hiccup ran a paw over his face in frustration.

"No," Hiccup said after a few moments of silence, "Whatever you think is normal, don't. Berk is a world away from Japan and we do things differently here. I'm not saying you should abandon your culture, but you could get hurt going around like you are now." Tatsuo cocked his head to the side, but nodded creating a weird paradox. Hiccup didn't know if he caught any of that.

"Please, just leave me alone," Hiccup said, sitting back down. Tatsuo stood there for a few moments, watching the dragon as he curled back into himself. The boy turned and walked back the way he came, keeping his head straight, never glancing back at the dragon he was leaving behind. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hiccup returned to his thoughts, for once, happy to be alone again.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup whispered into the wind, wishing Toothless would hear it, "I should've stayed, I should've listened." The dragon slowly rose to his feet, angry with himself yet again. Going home and talking to Toothless was the only thing Hiccup wanted to do. Holding onto his book tightly, Hiccup spread his wings slowly, stretching them out and flexing them a few times. Pushing them downwards and back up, Hiccup felt himself getting higher into the air. Turning in the direction of the village, it only took a few feet for the houses and hall to come into view over the small hill.

A bright flash of light caught Hiccup off guard as he shielded his eyes. A loud boom followed, sending a shockwave into Hiccup causing him to crash into the ground. Looking up quickly, Hiccup saw fire spreading quickly. The entire village was completely engulfed by the flames. Berk was burning away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Got another chapter out earlier than usual, sorry for the extend wait for chapter 2, I'll try not to fall behind again. I have musical practice and school I have to keep up with. **

**To answer a question left in the reviews of Chapter 2, I normally try to update at the very least, once a week, and if I can, try to update more than once. Life is kind of busy right now so I can't devote all of my time to writing, but I get bits and pieces done where I can. I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter and will stick around for the next. Until then!**

* * *

><p>Hiccup stared at the red flames ripping through the village, unable to move. His heart was beating so hard he felt as if he was going to pass out on the spot. His breathing was deep and hard. The world around him slowed as he focused on the massive fire that somehow managed to spring up in a matter of seconds. It just kept going and spreading like an unimaginable beast from the fiery depths of Muspelheim.<p>

"T-this can't be happening," Hiccup whispered out. Delicately, he put on paw in front of the other until he slowly regained control of his body. With a magnificent push downwards, the dragon lifted off the ground and sped off towards the village. The closer he got, the louder the screaming and the yelling began. Smoke filled the air along with the strong smell of burning wood and cinders. Hiccup neared the village, seeing many of the villagers scattering about, collecting what little they could salvage before bolting away from the fire slowly encroaching on their homes. The Night Fury dipped down low, trying to avoid a thick wall of smoke that was slowly growing over Berk.

"No, no, no, no!" Hiccup began to yell, seeing figures dump water everywhere to no avail. A sudden explosion caught Hiccup off guard sending him crashing into the ground. An audible smack was heard as the dragon went in hard, sending him sprawling a few feet across the ground. Hiccup slowly got up, feeling his body ache from the unexpected landing. The horrid smells of the burning village continually buffeted him as he tried to regain his composure. Stretching his wings, Hiccup took off towards the sky, only to be send right back to the ground. Landing rather ungracefully, Hiccup looked back, seeing his tailfin had been burnt off.

"Damn it!" Hiccup screamed into the air. Looking around in panic, the dragon searched for a way home but was met with the sights and sounds of fire slowly surrounding him. His heart beat as a feeling of pure dread slowly overtook him. Deep breaths filled with smoke and cinders engulfed his lungs causing him to back away in pain and fear.

_"Am I going to die here?"_ Hiccup thought, panicking.

"Help!" screamed in a voice so intertwined with pain and fear that Hiccup nearly froze. Another scream rang out, and another, and the dragon still stared in the direction of the screams. Finally managing to pull himself together, Hiccup forced himself to move forward, dashing through the flames. He could feel the heat lick at his sides and paws causing the dragon to run faster than he ever did before. The screaming only pushed him harder as he push past one last wall of flames and into another square of houses. Loud banging crashed into Hiccup's head from his left. A large beam of wood was blocking the door of a home. The house itself was beginning to catch fire with the screams growing ever louder. As Hiccup rushed towards the house, it only took a few moments for the dragon to realize whose home it was. His heart and head screamed out in realization and terror. Those screams of horror and agony belonged to Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup screamed out when he was near the door. He didn't get a response, only more screaming for help. Hiccup reached for the beam, ignoring all the instincts not too. Grabbing the flaming pole, feeling the flames slowly burn at his hands, he pushed it away from the door with a mighty shove. Removing his paws quickly, Hiccup looked down blew on them gently, thankful that weren't burnt too bad thanks to his tough skin. The door next to him burst open as Fishlegs fell out, gasping for air as smoke rushed out from his home. Fishlegs' mother came out after him, falling to her knees and coughing madly. Hiccup smiled softly, but the feeling of dread only seemed to grow when he realized how much danger he, and everyone he knew was in. This kind of fear was something Hiccup knew all too well and wished he would never feel again. The fear of being powerless against a seemingly unstoppable foe.

"Hiccup! Hiccup are you still with us?" Fishlegs shouted in Hiccup's face, snapping him out of it. Looking around, the fire was still blazing and only growing stronger by the looks of it.

"Hiccup get up! Move it!" shouted Fishlegs, pushing against the unresponsive dragon. Getting to his feet quickly, Hiccup looked around them for an exit. Fishlegs moved past the dragon, shouting words into the air.

"βροχή!" Fishlegs said. A blue light engulfed his body and spread out across a good twenty feet radius, letting loose a brief torrent of water. It didn't extinguish the city, but it was enough to get the three of them out of harms way, if only for a moment. The three of them pushed through the opening and ran towards safety. Hiccup hesitated and fell behind before he broke off from them completely. The two ahead of him didn't even notice his absence and kept running towards safety.

Breaking away, Hiccup took a sharp turn towards the upper village. All around him, men and women tried extinguishing the fires. Some were successful, others hardly managed to put a dent in the larger fires raging towards the skies. Hiccup pushed harder, straining his muscles as he pushed past the pains, making detour after detour to get home. Beams fell, houses crumbled, flames pushed themselves in his way. Hiccup rounded a corner, nearly falling into a gaping crater. Hiccup took several steps back, looking at the ground in front of him. He didn't want to know what created a hole this size, where some of the market used to be. Looking up, he could see stands blown into splinters of wood and homes near the blast pushed back and almost completely destroyed, if not, horrible disfigured by the sudden force and heat of the blast.

"Thor what is happening?" Hiccup screamed into the air. The dragon looked up quickly, and ran towards his home with a heart made of lead that slowed his every step.

Hiccup stared at the burning flames. Where his home stood, where his home would soon be gone, where his home would soon no longer be. The entirety was engulfed in scorching flames that crackled and snapped into the air, adding to the chorus of flames that rang throughout the village.

"Toothless?" Hiccup whispered, an overpowering feeling of sickness over coming him, "please tell me you got out?" Hiccup looked towards the skies desperately searching for any signs of his mate. A flying figure caught his eye and his heart soared with hope. Bursting through the smoke, Hookfang dropped water over a string of houses before landing near Hiccup. Snotlout hopped off the back of his dragon and threw his large bucket of water onto the fire, effectively extinguishing it for the time being. Looking back towards the skies, Hiccup saw more dragon riders dropping water of strings of houses, diminishing fires and putting out some.

"Have you seen Toothless?" Hiccup manage to squeak out. Snotlout looked in his cousin's direction, not even realizing he was there. The young viking could see the fear in the dragon's eyes. Slowly, Snotlout shook his head.

"No," Snotlout said softly, looking towards the dragon's burning home.

"I don't think I saw him leave the house Hiccup," Hookfang added, not daring to look at the Night Fury, but still retained a look as if he wanted a reaction out of the smaller dragon. Hiccup looked back to the house, slowly walking towards it.

"No," Hiccup whispered out, "He got out. He wouldn't just sit there and let the fire take him."

"Hiccup don't get too-"

A sudden blast from the house pushed Hiccup back, sending him rolling a few feet. Hiccup slowly looked up into the house, seeing the front door now wide open. Inside he could see the gleaming of a prosthetic fin, and many other belongings, burning away and crumbling into what was left of the wooden floor. Snotlout rushed over to the fallen dragon.

"What were you thinking!" Hookfang nearly yelled at Hiccup. The Night Fury slowly got up, took a good long look at the two and walked away.

"Hiccup stop!" Snotlout said, stepping in front of the dragon. The viking stopped short in front of him and stared. Hiccup looked up with a face of complete indifference, save for the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"He made it out right?" Hiccup managed out. Snotlout opened his mouth to say something, but shut his mouth slowly.

"Yes," Snotlout responded.

"Snotlout! Get up and get going!" shouted a voice from the air. Snotlout looked up, seeing his father pointing towards Hookfang and motioning him to the skies. Nodding, Snotlout rushed onto the back of his dragon and took off, back into the skies, leaving his cousin the way he found him, alone.

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><p>Hiccup forced himself towards the Great Hall, forcing himself to believe that Toothless was alright. Everytime he told himself his mate was alright, he would look back and see fires across the village. He'd see the fin burning away in what was his home. Their home. The home that was slowly deteriorating under the heavy burden of that fire.<p>

Pushing through the doors, Hiccup scanned the villagers with a tinge of hope. No sign of his dragon, nothing. Did he really burn in that fire? Did the seemingly invincible Toothless die right in front of Hiccup's eyes?

"Toothless?" Hiccup called out, his voice echoing into the hall. Many heads turned, then quickly looked away. The Night Fury wasn't there. Hiccup backed out of the hall and stared into the village. The fires were slowly dying out, buckets of water raining down on them, the voices shouting, and the diminishing sounds of distant fires. It was outside the Great Hall, the grand masterpiece his ancestors had built, that Hiccup broke down. The dragon softly cried out, wanting time to be rewound so he could stop everything. Stop all the pain, all the torture, all the fear.

"I know you would want me to be strong," Hiccup whispered to himself through soft sobs, "but I feel so weak right now...I just." In a fit of rage, the weakness that once gripped his body let loose their tyrannical hold and a moment of strength seized him. One paw after another punched into the ground.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Hiccup cried out, ignoring the pain that came with each punch into the ground, "Why couldn't I just be happy with what I had? Why did I have to wish for something to happen? Why?" Hiccup's anger subsided and he looked down at his paws. Blood slowly oozed from the small scratches on his paws.

"Can't you go fuck with someone else's life?" Hiccup said softly, looking towards the skies. A soft thud brought Hiccup's head down in front of him. Strong arms wrapped around Hiccup and pulled him in tight. The dragon didn't have the slightest clue what was happening, only that something was wrapped around him. Then he recognized the scent, the feel, the sound of his mate. Quickly, Hiccup wrapped his paws around him, afraid to let go.

"I thought you were dead," Hiccup said through broken sobs. Toothless just held him tighter, afraid to let go.

"I'm so sorry," Toothless whispered out, his voice unwavering despite the tears flowing from his eyes, "Gods, I'm so sorry Hiccup."

"Me too, I'm sorry Tooth, I'm sorry," Hiccup barely managed, "I should've listened, I should've stayed." Toothless rubbed his mate's back gently, holding him closely. Hiccup felt like an eternity had passed by in his mates arms before he decided to speak up. He could still smell the cinders in the air and the distant rumbling of dying fires was still present.

"We should go help," Hiccup said, "Save what we can." Toothless slowly moved back to look at his mate. Toothless took a long look over his shoulder and nodded.

"Stay close," Toothless said. Hiccup nodded as the two Night Furies made their way back into the burning village, hoping to salvage what they could of their home.

* * *

><p>Toothless opened his eyes, looking around the Great Hall at the vikings on rest. His mind was still a bit hazy from the long nap. The hard ground of the hall floor wasn't helping him much, but it would have to do until new homes could be built. Until then, the two dragons were stuck in the hall with the rest of the homeless, which, weren't as many as Toothless thought. Many of the homes suffered cosmetic damage and some interior damages as well. Thanks to the efforts of many vikings and the unforgotten skills of rebuilding home after home, the houses were being quickly restored.<p>

Toothless looked down and could see his mate curled up into him. The peaceful look on Hiccup's face just made Toothless' heart soar for a few moments. In those brief seconds, Toothless let his worries disappear and he truly felt like he was back at the house with Hiccup, curled up beside each other, letting time pass them by.

The Night Fury looked towards the door hanging slightly ajar and saw the orange sunlight cascade through the door. Night was approaching soon, and the next day, the cycle of repairing, building, and mourning would continue. Toothless looked over towards the twins, seeing Ruffnut dosed off and snoring obnoxiously while her brother was perfectly laid out on the ground. In the first and probably last act of kindness towards his sister, Tuffnut pushed her out of the way of a falling beam, only to have his left leg completely crushed under it. It was the two of them against the fire that was slowly spreading around them. The beam was too heavy to move, so she made a choice. Cut his leg off or leave him to die. I'm sure you can guess which one she chose.

A soft purr emanated from Hiccup's chest, causing Toothless to look down. Hiccup's eyes were slightly open, looking at Toothless' paws. Reaching out, Hiccup put his paw on his mates and smiled softly before closing his eyes once again. The purring slowly faded and Hiccup fell back into sleep. When he noticed his mate was finally asleep, he leaned down and licked Hiccup's had a few times and settled himself in, trying to get comfortable on the hard ground. Just when he thought he would dose off, he heard yelling. It was way off into the distance, far enough so that the humans in the room wouldn't hear, but just strong enough for Toothless to hear. He tried ignoring it, but the more he did, the louder it seemed to become.

With a deep and annoyed sigh, he slowly got up, trying his best not to wake Hiccup. The smaller dragon stirred momentarily, then became still. Trying his best not to wake anyone else, Toothless slowly snuck towards the door and out into the open air. The dragon stood there for a moment taking in the somewhat hopeful sight. Even though the fires had been out a while, the smell of smoke and ash still clung to the air mercilessly. Soft footsteps brought the dragon's eyes back towards the entrance. Hiccup walked out, almost tripping his own feet once or twice then sat next to Toothless, leaning on him a bit.

"Did I wake you?" Toothless asked apologetically. The smaller dragon shook his head.

"Whoever is shouting did," Hiccup said softly, straightening himself out and releasing a soft yawn, "I guess we should go see whats happening."

"You sure you're up to that?" Toothless said, noticing Hiccup's overall drowsy and tired look. The smaller dragon stretched out a bit and nodded his head in confirmation.

"I'm always," Hiccup started before being interrupted by another small yawn, "always ready." Toothless smiled at his companion and nodded his head, and the two started down the path towards the yelling. A few minutes of walking landed both the dragons at the dock where the newcomers and some senior vikings were having an intense argument from the looks of it.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Stoick yelled angrily, an axe clutched in his hand tightly. Ken looked on with an indifferent look.

"They destroyed the village and moved on," Ken said blandly, "They don't know he is here and they certainly will not return. They shall destroy and move until they find the boy." Stoick brought his axe into a dock beam angrily, cutting it cleanly in half. The top half slowly fell into the ocean will a loud splash. Hiccup could see the anger in his father's eyes. It was that same rage he saw so many times before and didn't think he'd have to see again.

"My people _died_! A boy lost his_ leg_! A mother lost her _child_! Many of my vikings_ lost_ their _homes_! Their possessions! Everything!" Stoick yelled so intensely that Ken's indifferent stare wavered, turning slightly to one of fear, "You used us and could've had us all killed! I want you off Berk, permanently! If I so much as see your face one more time, I will not be as kind as I am now! You have until sundown to be off my island!" With that, Stoick turned his back on Ken, walking away.

"Stop! You don't know what you're doing! You're killing what's left of my family!" Ken cried out suddenly, his calm and suppressed nature bursting at the seams, "They had nothing to do with this! They didn't know about this! I swear on my life!" The small man got down on his knees and bowed before Stoick who had looked over his shoulder.

"Send me away, but allow my family to stay!" Ken yelled out, clinging on to this hope. Stoick turned to face the man. The chief tilted his head at the display. Walking closer, Stoick knelt down next to Ken, whispering harshly into his ear.

"Then leave, never come back to Berk," Stoick whispered with such harshness that it sent shivers down not only Hiccup's, but Toothless' spine as well, "If they come back. If my village is so much as touched again, I'll make sure your precious family sees you again." Ken kept his head down and remained still.

"Thank you," Ken said softly into the board docks. Stoick looked away in disgust, walking past Gobber and Spitelout and towards the two dragons.

"Give a days worth of food and send him on his way," Stoick said coarsely. Gobber and Spitelout agreed with minor protest, wanting Ken to suffer a much worse punishment.

"..Dad?" Hiccup started to call out. Stoick's harsh eyes turned to Hiccup, filling with anger and resentment, and at the same time, a sorrowful look. It was the look he used to give Toothless when he first started living with them. For the first time, Stoick didn't see his son for who he was, but what he was. He saw a dragon, a disgusting and revolting creature. Stoick looked away quickly and walked towards the Great Hall with heavy and furious steps.

"Gobber?" Toothless called out confidently, getting the senior viking's attention, "Mind filling us in?" The old viking shrugged his shoulders and hobbled over to the two dragons.

"We thought last night was some sort of freak accident or an attack of some sort by a neighboring tribe. Turns out we were wrong," Gobber said blandly, "You know that little dragon that boy was carrying with him? Apparently he's some prince of a mountain back in their country and the explosion and fires were caused by two dragons looking for him. They want to kill him to secure their place as king or queen or something. Either way, they used us, boys. They thought they could stay safe and let the storm pass them by and they could be on their merry way, not caring what happened to us. They destroyed Berk, they killed our people, cost Tuffnut his leg! No one wants them here." With that, the once cheerful and happy-go-lucky guy disappeared. Seems like its becoming a trend.

"I'm remembering why I _hate_ strangers," Toothless whispered through gritted teeth, "They're always looking to _fuck_ you over in some way for their own personal gain." Hiccup opened his mouth to protest, but could find no words to calm his mate down. This was an argument he knew he might never win, and this time, he was on Toothless' side. They used Berk. They used their generosity. They used their hospitality, and they stabbed us in return.

Rapid steps blew past the dragons as Tatsuo ran towards this father. The boy didn't look sad his father was leaving, but had an indifferent expression, the same as his father.

"I apologize, but I listened in on your conversation without permission, but, I promise to restore honor to our family," Tatsuo said briskly, "As the next in line as head of the family, I shall take responsibility from this day forth. You have disgraced us father. You should have told us what you did. Now these people have suffered for a foolish mistake, however, I shall spend the remainder of my life on this earth to repay the damages and tragedy that we have caused them. I wish your life be a happy one." With that Tatsuo bowed to his father, who in returned bowed back respectfully. The boy turned away from his father and walked away with a hint of dignity. The father, on the other hand, reached out for his son. He opened his mouth, but no words fell from his lips. Ken bowed his head down and boarded his ship. Spitelout threw the bag of food aboard Ken's vessel and pushed him offshore.

"The nearest Island friendly to outsiders like you is a good week away," Spitelout said loudly and monotonically, "Make it last."

* * *

><p>The moon hung down over the inhabitants of Berk. Toothless and Hiccup were in the Great Hall along with many other Berk villagers, sleeping in a depressing silence. Hiccup was awake once again, but remained still in his love's warm embrace. The longer the night ticked on, the more restless Hiccup seemed to become. When he felt all hope was lost, the tiny patter of feet came close to him until a small dragon was sitting inches from his face.<p>

"Hi," Ryuu said with a smile. Hiccup smiled back, motioning towards Toothless who was sound asleep.

"Try not to wake him," Hiccup said softly. Ryuu nodded his head and stared at Hiccup for a few moments, making the atmosphere just a little awkward. The little dragon looked at the Night Fury's paws and rubbed them gently, noticing the scratches and small burns on them.

"What happened to your hands Mr. Hiccup?" Ryuu asked softly. Hiccup glanced down at the small wounds. They didn't sting when the little one touched, they felt warm and soothing instead. A remedy of compassion.

"I got a little mad and punched the ground," Hiccup said, "and I burnt them helping a friend out." The little dragon nodded his head, understanding the pain and struggle the paws went through. The little dragon licked his hurt paws and rubbed them softly before taking a step back, smiling softly.

"I made them feel all better," the little dragon said with a big smile. Hiccup couldn't help but smile as well, thanking the little dragon for his kind and warming gesture.

"Ryuu?" Hiccup asked. The little dragon smiled wider and nodded his head.

"Yes?" The little dragon asked softly.

"How old are you?" Hiccup asked. The little dragon smile wavered a bit, as if he wasn't really sure himself.

"I think that old guy said I was six," Ryuu said softly, unsure about the answer.

"You mean Ken?" Hiccup said. Ryuu looked confused again, trying to think some more.

"Yes, Ken," the little dragon responded. Hiccup nodded his head, not entirely sure why he needed to know. Something about the family's whole situation was definitely off, but he didn't really know what it was. All he knew was that their family was being chased by some evil dragons who wanted this cute little guy dead and they needed, or wanted, to protect him.

"Mr. Hiccup?" Ryuu said softly. Hiccup blinked quickly a few times, readjusting his line of sight on the little dragon in front of him.

"Yes, what is it?" Hiccup said sweetly. Little Ryuu hesitated for a moment, but went ahead with his question.

"Can I sleep with you and Mr. Toothless?" the little dragon suddenly asked. Hiccup's eyes widened a bit at the question, not really sure why Ryuu would want their company instead of someone he actually knew, like Tatsuo.

"What about Tatsuo? Don't you think you'd feel safer with someone you know? Someone your close too?" Hiccup asked slowly and softly, glancing back at Toothless at some parts and over towards Tatsuo, sleeping in a corner with the rest of his family, minus one. The little dragon shook his head and persisted.

"I was told not to get close to humans, they always die anyway," Ryuu said with that same innocent smile. Hiccup's heart felt heavy for a moment, remembering his own lifespan.

"Ryuu, who told you that?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know, it was a long time ago," Ryuu said with his innocent eyes that looked around the room slowly, "Humans live so shortly while we live for so long so I shouldn't get close to them. They would always grow old and die." Hiccup nodded his head, acting like was listening to the last few sentences, but really, his mind was still stuck on his own life. His own mortality versus that of a human.

"Can I?" Ryuu asked, snapping Hiccup from his thoughts.

"Huh?" Hiccup said softly, hardly hearing any of what Ryuu was saying.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Ryuu persisted again. Somehow, Ryuu's little voice pulled back memories to before the fight. When he drew that sketch in his book of a family. A family he dreamed he could have. Without giving it much thought, Hiccup nodded and the little dragon curled up next to Hiccup. The Night Fury let out a slow breath seeing the young dragon next to him. Delicately, Hiccup draped his paw over the little dragon, bringing him a bit closer. Ryuu snuggled into the larger dragon and fell asleep quickly. Somehow, sleep slowly began to seep its way back into Hiccup's mind, dragging him further and further down into unconsciousness.

_"I left my book in the woods,"_ Hiccup thought before his mind went completely blank and a wall of darkness took him into a blissful and peaceful sleep, one that ignored the worries and troubles of the present and future, and focused on the love and freedom of the past.


	4. Chapter 4

Hiccup tried straightening out a wooden beam, aligning it with the rest of the damaged house. With a few hard nudges, the arched beam found its place snuggly. Sitting back on his tail, Hiccup let out a brisk exhale of approval.

"Thanks Hiccup," Johan called out from atop the roof, "That about does it for this one. I'll secure it and we'll move on to the next one in a few minutes."

"Alright," Hiccup called back. The Night Fury rested on the cool grass for a few moments, letting his mind and eyes wander around the village. It had hardly been a day and a half but the village was looking better and better. There was still a tiring amount of work to be done before it could even begin to return to its former glory, but still, buildings and homes were being erected in the place of cinders and ashes. So far, five or six homes were already rebuilt, with countless more needing to be replaced or repaired. Mainly, the lower half of the village was the most effected by the fire while the upper half, where Hiccup currently was, suffered less damage. The air still smelled of smoke and ash as it clung to the air and the burnt grass that lay in scarred patches around the village.

Hiccup breathed out a sigh, feeling his muscles aching from just fixing up one house that had comparatively minor burns and damages. Hiccup's eyes once again rested on the lower half of the village, seeing the black and grey remains of a once thriving village. The dragon let his mind wander backwards, thinking of hard times in the past.

"Dagur didn't even do this much damage," Hiccup whispered to himself. The subtle sound of a door closing attracted Hiccup's attention. Tatsuo was walking away from the Great Hall towards Hiccup's direction. Tatsuo walked passed the dragon without bothering to spare a glance. Letting his gaze follow the boy, Hiccup watched as Tatsuo walked down the road little further to some men repairing a home. Tatso stopped in front of a few older vikings and said a few words too quite for the Night Fury to hear. The men looked at each other with hate filled faces and clenched their fists together. They turned their scorn filled gazes back to the boy and shouted in his face.

"Get out of here you disgusting brat!" one of the older vikings shouted.

"You see all this?" another viking shouted, pointing to the destroyed lower half of the village, "This is all your damned fault! You better sleep with one eye open little guy cause pretty soon, you're going to get just what you deserve!" Tatsuo stared at the men a few moments and said something to the men. The boy bowed to the vikings and moved on, heading towards another group of viking men. The working vikings Tatsuo had left watched him with disgust. Hiccup saw one of the vikings grip a hammer, facing towards the boy. The dragon could see the anger and hatred in his eyes that soon subsided. The viking shook his head, grunted angrily, and returned to the task at hand.

Hiccup really didn't know what to think of Tatsuo and his family. He couldn't help but hold resentment towards them for what they brought to Berk. On the other, it was hardly the boy's fault. The father managed to keep the whole ordeal a secret. It was almost like each side of his brain had a differing opinion. One pulled him one way, then the other would pull him the other. By the end of it, he'd still be where he started. When Hiccup looked around himself and saw the destroyed village, his heart heats up with anger. He would think back to Dagur and all the pain he would cause and the dragon would almost boil over and start screaming into the air.

Then he would remember the people the came with Dagur. Because of Dagur, Hiccup met the other tribes, he trained them and showed them how wonderful dragons really were. Hiccup brought together two species and different tribes because of that pain. He met Iona and brought a little magic into his life. He fell in love, he made new friends, he reached new heights, he ran faster, loved harder, thought greater. He changed the viking world because of that pain. If he did it once, then he damn well could do it again.

"Hey, Hiccup," Johan said in a tone that suggested he did something very wrong, "We might need to pick this up later." Hiccup looked up and saw the viking's head staring down at him with pained eyes. The dragon raised a brow at the interesting display and got up from his resting position.

"Why exactly?" Hiccup asked with an expecting voice. The dragon was just curious as to what Johan did wrong. The viking put his hand out into Hiccup's view. Johan's thumb was becoming a purple color and was definitely swollen.

"Because I might've broken my thumb," the viking said with a pained smile. Hiccup rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Might've?" Hiccup repeated. Johan nodded in confirmation quickly.

"Might've," Johan said, sliding off the roof and landing next to the dragon, "I'll be back in an hour, probably five." With that, the viking briskly walked off towards the Great Hall.

"Okay," Hiccup said, not too sure if Johan could hear him, "I'll just go get some lunch then."

* * *

><p>Out of habit, Hiccup walked slowly towards his home. The dragon wasn't thinking too much about the world around him, but rather of the world above. The skies and all the world that lies between. It had been so long since he and Toothless actually enjoyed a flight together. Almost a month, then life just kind of, got in the way. Wind brushing past his skin as he flew through the sky, that was the feeling Hiccup longed for so much. The surreal emotions he felt flying with Toothless was the adrenaline he needed. The sunrises, the morning skies, the evening winds, the marvelous sunsets, and the star filled night air. Those were the memories he longed to relive, those were the times he felt freest.<p>

Hiccup stopped and looked up from his low gaze that was once fixated on the ground in front of him. His home was now a hollowed shell of what it used to be. The wood was stained black and brittle to the touch. The slightest gust of wind would make the entire structure groan and shift. The home was just as Hiccup had last left it. Door ajar, revealing the burnt and destroyed innards of the house. The once intricate designs were burnt into one another creating a mess of what once was. In just a single night, memories were burnt away from the unfortunate event of a mass fire. Something in Hiccup's heart stirred, something hopeful.

"Something old ends," Hiccup said softly to himself, "and something new begins." The dragon smiled at himself, thinking poorly of himself from the cheesy quote, though, it did convey the feelings he held deep down inside.

"That seems to be a reoccuring theme lately in life," Hiccup whispered to himself softly. It was strange to him how he could feel such a broad range of emotions looking at the shell of a house. Sadness, anger, happiness, renewal, and they all melded together inside Hiccup's chest, but, that was just the complexity of the human...dragon heart.

"Hiccup!" yelled a familiar and soothing voice from a distance. Taking his eyes to the skies, Hiccup scanned above him for the source of the noise. To his left, a black shape was quickly coming into focus as the Night Fury drew closer. Hiccup smiled when he laid eyes on his mate, always joyed to have him around. With the skill of a veteran flyer, Toothless landed gracefully next to his mate, taking a few steps forward.

"And how has your day gone?" Toothless said after kissing Hiccup lightly. The smaller dragon let out a low groan of annoyance and let his shoulders sag.

"It took the entire morning to fix up one house," Hiccup said with an exhausted voice, flinging himself onto Toothless, "I only got out of it because Johan broke his thumb." Toothless raised a brow, noticing the over dramatic tone Hiccup was putting off.

"Really now?" Toothless said, wanting to mess with Hiccup a bit, "The group I was with already finished their houses for today and I got off to get some lunch." Hiccup looked at Toothless with skeptical and annoyed eyes. The smaller dragon pushed himself off his mate and gave up.

"Okay it wasn't that bad," Hiccup said in response to the teasing tone, "My body still hurts though. I'm not used to this stuff." Toothless smiled at Hiccup and motioned towards the skies.

"Soar enough to not join me in an afternoon flight?" Toothless said. The larger Night Fury watched as his mate's eyes lit up with excitement and joy. Hiccup glanced back at his tailfin, happy that Gobber fixed it up for him earlier that morning. Looking back to Toothless, Hiccup shook his head.

"Never too tired for flying, bud," Hiccup said. It had been a while since he last used the word 'bud' when addressing Toothless. It didn't quite feel foreign on his tongue, but it certainly felt different, almost a good different though. Like somehow life had steadily returned to normal, well, as normal as it could get. Back in the old days when it was just the two against the world.

"Then lets go," Toothless said happily, lifting himself off the ground. Hiccup quickly followed after his mate, going wherever it was Toothless was heading. The dragons flew high into the skies above Berk. Looking back, Hiccup could see the village. From up above, it seemed like he was looking at an entirely different place. The lower village was pretty much a black canvas of ash that trailed off the higher one went towards the Great Hall. In that blackness, however, stood newer buildings that signaled the hope for the future of Berk. They were the pillars of the vikings. Their persistence, their tenacity, and their stubbornness to never give up in the face of adversity. It was one of the qualities Hiccup could admire about his viking heritage.

A black figure flew past Hiccup, catching him off guard. Reeling backwards a few feet, the dragon looked down and saw Toothless spiraling gracefully through the air before turning back up and flying back up towards Hiccup. Toothless went above Hiccup and went down to repeat the process. Hiccup caught on and let himself fall. Within seconds, Toothless was right next to his mate as they spiraled towards the oceans below. The two smiled at each other, missing the days they did this daily. Toothless reached out and pushed on Hiccup a bit, sending him spinning lightly around in circles, getting joyed laughter from his mate. Hiccup quickly came to a stop facing Toothless. The two dragons stared into each other's eyes as they fell to the earth below. Their hearts were intertwined in those few moments. No need for words, they knew what the other felt.

The two dragons broke apart, pulling out in different directions. Hiccup looked around for Toothless, but could not find the dragon. Looking ahead, he saw the familiar shape of the Night Fury slowly falling back into place with him. Toothless looked over at Hiccup and smiled.

"I was thinking we could get some food and have a nice picnic out at the cove," Toothless said, "Get away from this depressing atmosphere." Hiccup nodded at the request and twirled in the air.

"That is exactly what we need," Hiccup said gleefully, "Race you there!" Hiccup shot down low, heading straight for the Great Hall. Toothless hesitated a moment, caught off guard by the sudden exclamation for a race. Smiling with adrenaline, Toothless lunged after his mate. In a matter of moments, the larger dragon had already overtaken the smaller one. Hiccup exhaled in annoyance and tried to fly faster only to be met with the fleeting tailfin of Toothless. Both the dragons landed in front of the hall within moments of each other.

"You even got a head start," Toothless said teasingly. Hiccup glared at him playfully.

"One of these days I will defeat you," the smaller dragon said, pushing into the large wooden doors. The creaking of wood echoed throughout the almost deserted Hall. Most of the families were out gathering what they could while others built, farmed, and carried on with their daily lives as much as they could. All of Berk was determined to not let a fire burn away their spirits.

The room was almost deathly quiet with only the soft footsteps provided by the dragons breaking through it. The pair walked to the fair end of the Hall, weaving past the little piles of belongings and personal areas. Towards the back was the last minute kitchen area. The Hall was already equipped with pits and places to cook, but with such a large crowd of people, creating an organized and efficient way of cooking and delivering food was crucial.

A small body was behind the counter, cutting into vegetables and herbs. The small figure stopped their chopping and looked up at the approaching dragons. Gothi was the last person Hiccup thought would be cooking, but she had helped so much. She really was one of the greatest vikings Berk had ever seen, even in her elderly age. Others always came before herself and she proved that time and time again. The elder smiled at the younglings in front of her, happy to see bright faces among the darker times.

"Good afternoon Gothi," Toothless started off, "We were hoping you'd be able to fix us up a little basket of food? We wanted to get away from the village for a bit and have a nice picnic. Think you can help us out?" The old viking scratched her chin and looked around her. After a few moments of surveying her supplies and nodded her head with a bright smile upon her face. She motioned for the dragons to take a seat while the basket was prepared. Sitting down near the center of the Hall near a fire pit. The fire was slowly burning, taking its sweet time as it crackled into the air. Hiccup's eyes wandered from the fire and towards the door. It was only a few short months ago that he'd done something he still couldn't let go. He realized that if he hadn't acted, someone he loved could've gotten hurt or killed, but it still ate away at him. The Berserker he once killed. That gruesome image etched into his mind. It wasn't nearly as bad as the blood bath that the boy Destin had created. Hiccup understood he should've killed the boy, but even if he had the chance to, Hiccup didn't know if he could really do it. He knew the kid killed his mother and father in cold blood, but he still couldn't kill him. Not a child.

"Well what do we have here?" said an unusually annoying yet familiar voice. Both of the dragons looked in the direction of the voice, seeing Tuffnut lying on the ground a few yards away. His leg and head were propped up comfortably as he sat staring at the ceiling. Hiccup couldn't help but smile seeing that his friend was okay. The stump where his leg used to be was healing quickly and from what Hiccup could tell, was looking just fine.

"Hey Tuffnut," Hiccup said with a slight smile, "How's the leg doing?" The viking shifted around and continued staring at he ceiling.

"I'm a little disappointed," Tuffnut said with clear annoyance in his voice, "I thought it would hurt more than it did." Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Toothless glanced back at the smaller dragon and raised a brow. In the end, both dragons just shrugged their shoulders and went along with it.

"That's too bad?" Toothless said with a tinge of question in his voice. The sound of a basket being locked into place attracted the attention of the two dragons. Gothi motioned them closer and presented them with a nice sized basket filled with so many sweet aromas. Toothless' mouth watered just smelling it and couldn't wait to crack it open and eat what was inside.

"Thanks Gothi," Hiccup said with a wide smile on his face, "We really appreciate this!" Gothi merely bowed her head and motioned for the boys to be on their way as she went back to work. Obliging to her request, Hiccup picked up the basket and the pair set out on their way into the dense forests of Berk.

* * *

><p>Hiccup stared across the small lake that occupied much of the cove. It was nice returning here with Toothless. All of the memories they shared together, some good, some, not as much. The cover would always be important to the both of them, even if they can't always go there, it still held a deep place in both of their hearts.<p>

"Hiccup?" Toothless asked, pausing mid-sentence to recapture the Night Fury's attention. Hiccup looked at this companion blankly for a moment, not quite realizing Toothless was talking at all.

"What?" Hiccup said, showing a bit of confusion and embarrassment. Toothless rolled his eyes and smiled.

"It was nothing really," Toothless said, grabbing a smaller fish from the basket and eating it, "I was just explaining how Snotlout can't use a hammer." Hiccup smiled at his love and cocked his head to the side in a slight accusational manner.

"Tooth, you struggle to even hold a hammer," Hiccup said in a matter-of-factly voice. Toothless stared at Hiccup intensely for a moment, deciding his next few words carefully.

"Thats not the point Hiccup," Toothless started off, trying to hold back a bit off laughter. Hiccup shook his head and reached into the basket for another small fish. Hiccup pulled his hand back out with a decent sized fish and he popped it into his mouth.

"So, what happened last night," Toothless said softly, "I woke up and found Ryuu snuggled up against you." Hiccup slowed his chewing and eventually swallowed, thinking about the previous events.

"He was tired, and he asked to sleep with us," Hiccup said, "He doesn't even feel comfortable with the people he's known for...I don't even know long." There was a momentary pause from both parties that filled the air with a sick silence that could make the most confident man falter.

"Try not to get too attached to him," Toothless said softly, reaching into the basket for another fish. Hiccup looked over at the dragon, confused by his words.

"Why?" Hiccup asked briskly. Toothless could feel his paw grabbing at another fish, but he withdrew his hand from the basket, bringing nothing back with him.

"I know what you're thinking," Toothless said carefully, "You really want to adopt him, raise him as your own. We don't know how long he lives Hiccup, we really don't know anything about him. He's in a foreign land with foreign dragons and foreign people. He's evading murderous dragons and is too young to understand whats really happening around him." When Hiccup didn't supply an immediate response, Toothless continued on with his mini speech.

"I'm not saying we should keep him at a distance, I'm just saying we should be careful about who we decide to let in. He may be a dragon, but he's still a stranger and you know how I don't take too kindly to strangers," Toothless said, his words losing their intensity as he went on, "Not after everything thats happened." Hiccup nodded his head slowly as Toothless talked, having lost the will to talk. Deep down inside, he wanted a family, but he also knew he was just not ready. Toothless pointed out everything wrong with raising a family right now and the difficulties the two would undoubtedly face. Still, the lingering longing still persisted. Toothless watched as he saw Hiccup's mind wander again, that almost void expression in his eyes as his heart took him to other place. Sighing softly to himself, Toothless got up and stretched, hearing the popping of muscles and bones as he moved around.

"We should probably head back," Toothless said quickly, "We're probably needed." Hiccup slowly rose from the ground and nodded in agreement.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Toothless finally asked, seeing how distance his love was acting, "You've been quiet and distant since we got here." Hiccup stared at Toothless for a couple seconds before fully registering the question. The dragon looked down at his feet for a few seconds then back up at Toothless, the familiar gleam in his eyes returning.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about life," Hiccup said quickly, "Nothing to worry about."

"Hic, you know you can tell me anything," Toothless said softly. The Night Fury was met with a brisk nod a seemingly cheerful smile. Hiccup folded up the basket and made sure the contents inside were safe and secure.

"You ready to go?" Hiccup asked before slipping the basket handle in his mouth. Toothless nodded softly, not convinced in the slightest that the silence was nothing. Hiccup lifted into the air and headed back towards the village. Toothless watched for a moment, seeing Hiccup flying off. Shaking his head quickly, Toothless tried to subdue the growing feeling of worry and followed after the Night Fury quickly.

* * *

><p>The two flew in silence, passing over tall trees and the occasional dragon or wildlife on the forest floor. The dragons steadily rose in altitude, making sure to avoid obstacles that could hinder their flight back into the village. Toothless was feeling more and more uneasy as time went on. He wasn't entirely sure why, but something in his gut just didn't seem right. He remembered feeling the same right before Berk erupted into flames, only this time it persisted for a few moments longer. As suddenly as it appeared, the burning feeling was gone.<p>

"Hey Hiccup," Toothless called out, wondering if his mate had felt anything he just had. The Night Fury turned his head and smiled softly at Toothless.

"Yeah?" Hiccup said, unintentionally letting the basket fall from his mouth and down to the earth below. Both dragons hovered where it fell, hearing a final and soft thud.

"Great," Hiccup said to himself, staring at the house the basket fell near. Toothless opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it, thinking the weird sensations he was having were nothing. The two dragons lowered themselves onto the ground. Hiccup looked around cautiously, hoping that the door to the house wouldn't open. The dragon collected what remained of the basket and pieced it back together the best he could. Suddenly, the door swung open and out walked a grumpy old man, clearly not amused by any of what was happening before him.

"What are you doing here," the old man yelled angrily. Hiccup looked with slightly scared, slightly annoyed eyes.

"I dropped this basket, and I'm picking it up," Hiccup said quickly. The old man stared at the dragon with suspicious and distrusting eyes. The man glanced over at Toothless and glared at him harder, disgusted by the creature.

"Get off my land," the old man said, slamming his staff into the ground as hard as he could manage. Hiccup looked up at the old guys and sighed inwardly to himself.

"Whatever you say Mildew," said Hiccup, dropping the remains of the basket back onto the ground. Hiccup motioned towards the sky and the two dragons turned away from the cantankerous old man. Mildew slammed his staff into the ground again, prompting the dragons to turn their heads back to him.

"And what about this mess you've made?" Mildew said expectantly, moving his staff in the direction of the shattered basket and its strewn out remains. Toothless stared at the old man and raised a brow.

"It is _your_ land right? Why don't _you _take care of it," Toothless said, turning his head away from the old man. Mildew's mouth hung open a bit, listening to the dragon talk.

"I don't know what your dragon just said to me, but I don't like it," the old man said, "and I care to listen to his voice either! Keep your filthy dragon scales and magic off my land!" With that, the cranky old man turned away from the dragons and slammed his door shut. Hiccup winced slightly at the banging of the door. Turning away from the old man's rickety house, he shook his head in annoyance.

"It's bad enough he's stubborn, but he didn't even consider letting Iona cast that spell on him," Hiccup said with an annoyed tinge to his voice. Toothless breathed out, trying to ignore the old man for now.

"I say we just go back and forget he even exists, like we usually do," Toothless said, clearly not hiding any of the dislike in his voice, "He should be lucky his farm was spared from the fire." The two dragons lifted off into the sky, heading back into the village. Hiccup called out to Toothless, motioning for a detour rather than a straight forward march to the village. Weaving down into the lower forest, Hiccup led Toothless around a bend and onto a small beach. Landing softly, Hiccup let out a satisfied breath feeling the smooth sand against his bare paws. Within seconds Toothless landed too, spraying small amounts of sand into the air. Hiccup turned away, trying to avoid the sandy blast that seemed to be purposefully directed towards his face and eyes.

"Hey! Watch it," Hiccup said playfully as he stared out into the ocean and away from the gust. Toothless smiled and laughed softly, apologizing as he landed gracefully on the ground. Toothless noticed Hiccup's gaze still fixated on the ocean.

"Hiccup?" Toothless said, bringing his paw in front of Hiccup's face. Hiccup grabbed his dragon's paw and slowly lowered it too the ground.

"Toothless," Hiccup said, bringing a claw up towards the distant sea, "Can you see that boat?" Toothless followed Hiccup's claw that lead him straight to a vessel. It was far enough away that it would be difficult to see, yet close enough to make out minor distinctive details. The hull was darkened, the masts were slightly torn but were still in condition for catching the wind currents. The ship just looked horribly managed, menacing, and it almost looked makeshift. It took a few seconds, but the image sunk into Hiccup's mind and flipped a switch. The longer he stared, the stronger the urge became. He knew what the ship was, he knew who it belonged to, and it frightened him. Berk wasn't ready to fight again, not like this.

The ship in the distance changed direction, heading away from the island and towards the south. Hiccup felt a little dizzy and exhaled. It hadn't realized he was holding his breath. Toothless stared at Hiccup and back out to sea, wondering what it was his mate really saw.

"That was an _Outcast_ ship," Hiccup said softly.


	5. Chapter 5

**UPDATE: There may not be a chapter next week. I have a musical coming up very soon, and next week is the premiere week meaning I'll have very little time to write as most of my energy will be directed towards that and school. Do not worry, because after next week, it shall return to the usual of one, two, maybe even three per week, who knows? Free time is just the thing I need. For now, enjoy the latest.**

* * *

><p>"Hiccup, that's not funny," Stoick said annoyed as he continued walking, his son and his dragon walking behind him in slight shock and anger. Toothless looked at his mate and then towards the back of Stoick who walked on with a staggering amount of urgency. They were passing through the market, the current hub for jobs and rebuilding.<p>

"And what about it is so funny?" Toothless asked with a tinge of anger in his voice. Stoick stopped momentarily, glancing over his shoulder at the dragon. There was an unusual anger in his eyes, though Toothless could tell those eyes weren't angered with him. The chief continued walking forward, throwing his words over his shoulder as he pushed forward, looking left and right at the progress being made. All around, vikings were being directed towards new objectives, new jobs, and new plans

"Whatever you saw, it wasn't an Outcast ship," Stoick said blandly, continuing at his pace. Hiccup stopped in his tracks, prompting both Toothless and Stoick to turn their eyes to the absent party.

"Why are you so sure it wasn't Outcast?" Hiccup persisted further. Stoick stared at his son, his eyes lacking that annoyed and angered flare they once held before. It was one of the smaller things that Toothless noticed. The chief crossed his arms, sizing up his son and debating whether or not to engage in yet another argument with his son.

"You know it's impossible son," Stoick said as a matter-of-factly. Hiccup rolled his eyes and motioned to his entire body.

"You are looking at the impossible dad," Hiccup said in response. Stoick raised a brow at his son and looked at him unimpressed. Turning away once again, Stoick returned to his brisk walk through the market, nearing the main stand where men and women were collecting orders and supplies. Near the main stand was a decent sized hole that was once much bigger. Ever since the attack, the vikings of Berk have progressively filled most of it in with dirt and just needed a cobblestone finish to be complete. Looking towards the hole, Stoick carried on with this conversation.

"They're gone Hiccup," Stoick said briskly, "They were cowards, and they picked up and left." Toothless stepped forward, making his presence more known in the conversation and in the group.

"We still haven't found a solid explanation for why the sudden vanished," Toothless persisted, sitting on his tail so he could see eye to eye with the chief. Even on his tail, Toothless still stood just a bit short of the massive viking. Toothless noticed the fire return to Stoick's eyes, that hidden anger. The dragon had a horrible feeling in his stomach. Maybe those threatening glances really were meant for him, but as quickly as that fire returned, it diminished as if a passing breeze squashed the once bright flames into a dull glow.

"They heard what Dagur was capable of and they fled in fear," Stoick said with a softer tone in his voice. With it, was almost a tinge of regret in his voice. Hiccup walked closer to the pair, sitting on his tail next to his mate. He had grown a bit, but still stood a good head below Toothless. Hiccup stared at his father, contemplating his next few words.

"Dad, you know as well as I do that it doesn't add up. We defeated Dagur and the Outcasts still fled, before Dagur ever escaped. Before he started recruiting an army," Hiccup said, seeing the hesitation in his father's eyes, "Something, or someone, forced them to leave. For all we know, they left on their own free will on some conquest, but assuming they just up and left and would never return is completely stupid. Dad I know you want to believe a problem as big as this couldn't happen, but it very well could be. Berk is in a state worse than anything Dagur threw at us and another enemy who could be just as dangerous as him could be near our shores. Don't ignore me like you used too. Don't ignore us dad." Stoicked stared at his son with uneasy silence. The chief looked between the Night Fury and his mate, giving them a softer gaze than before like a very thin fog came over his eyes, dimming the fire that once burned bright inside them. Stoick rubbed his head and put his hands on both the dragon's shoulders, smiling the best he could at his two boys.

"Hiccup, I'm not ignoring you, or Toothless, and I do know that some things don't really make much sense, but its the best explanation we've got. You saw what the Outcast island looked like. It was thoroughly cleaned, like they made sure to leave behind nothing that could signal they were ever there. A building would be left, but everything inside would be gone. Assuming they fled out of the area for some reason similar to that is one of the very few that make much sense. If you two really think it was an Outcast ship, then I'll arrange to have Spitelout lead a short scouting of the area. You can tag along if you want, but I'm confident you won't find anything." Stoick finished his last words strongly. The chief removed his hands from the dragon's shoulders and rubbed their heads affectionately before giving them a genuine smile, one that was definitely not forced.

"And on the off chance you run into some unexpected issues, just return to Berk and we'll discuss it further, alright?" Stoick said, crossing his arms at his two boys. Both the dragon's nodded their heads in agreement. Stoick's gaze lingered on Toothless just a tad longer before the chief turned away, heading back towards the temporary hub. Hiccup and Toothless watched as the proud chief yelled out orders and redirected the disarrayed group of vikings who liked to pretend they knew what they were doing. The smaller dragon couldn't help but smile at his father. He was proud of him, how much he had changed, for the better. He listened now, much more than he talked. It made Hiccup feel like him and Toothless really made a difference, not just with Stoick, but with all of Berk and even other tribes.

Hiccup turned and noticed a lack of a Night Fury by his side. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Toothless a few steps away, walking back towards the Great Hall. Hiccup quickly turned a took a few quick steps to fall in line with Toothless. The larger dragon glanced over at Hiccup and smiled lightly at his mate. Hiccup smiled and leaned against Toothless lightly, happy they were both safe, even if it was only for a short time.

Stoick finished yelling his orders and pointed one viking in the direction of the Great Hall. His finger slowly fell, seeing his son and his dragon so close together. It was something he knew he may never get used to. His son was a dragon, and he married a dragon. Certainly not the life he had envisioned when he was just a young man, just starting his life with his pregnant wife. He was still overwhelmingly happy for his boy, and thankful for the dragon, no, for Toothless making his son happy.

"You know, I'm pretty proud of my dad," Hiccup said softly as the two dragons walked slowly, watching as a viking hurriedly ran passed them, "He's changed a lot since the days when we were just getting to know each other. He's more considerate, he at least tries to listen to us, he's a bit nicer, but I think that might be a stretch." Hiccup laughed a bit under his breath and glanced over at Toothless, feeling the uneasy vibe his dragon was giving off. Hiccup could tell his mind was elsewhere as the larger dragon stared forward with a distant gaze.

"Is everything alright Tooth?" Hiccup said softly, stopping. Toothless took a few more stops before he registered the words in his head. The dragon turned his head back to his mate and smiled, nodding his head.

"I was just thinking about the situation," Toothless said, "I hate to say it worries me, but it really does. It was just a few months ago that our lives were at risk against a dangerous viking like Dagur. I don't like the fact that life could go back to the way it was. I don't like that our lives are in danger, that one of us could die." Hiccup smiled and took a few steps forwarding, motioning for the Night Fury to follow. Toothless obliged and continued walking with his mate towards the Great Hall. Hiccup stopped suddenly again, staring at a burnt house. The once lively wood was scarred with a deathly black cloak that draped it's ashy burden over the house. The doorway was slightly warped and ajar, revealing the blackened and charred innards of the building. Metal rods, scraps of paper, brittle furniture that seemed to grow smaller with the passing wind as it took one piece at a time.

"Toothless, it's an occupational hazard," Hiccup said softly, remembering the words his father had told him ever since he was a child. Now that he was older, he could fully understand the significance of the few simple words. Being a viking didn't guarantee you a full life, it just guaranteed a life, one that could end at any moment. Death is closely intertwined with a vikings life as they tread closer to the horizon between the afterlife and mortal life. Toothless sat next to Hiccup and stared at their once great home. It would be several more days, maybe weeks, maybe even months before rebuilding teams got around to it. It was in the center of town, around the area where much damage was called. Quality homes that were being built on Berk in the last year took much longer to build, so, until then, the Great Hall was their home.

"Only if you accept death as an option," Toothless said in response. Hiccup turned to his mate, noticing the flare in his eyes. The way that passion burned in when he looked at the once gloriously simple home spurred something inside Hiccup. It reminded him how much he truly loved that dragon. Hiccup smiled and moved closer to Toothless, leaning his head on his mate's shoulder, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Then death is not an option."

* * *

><p>A warmer breeze blew through Berk, bringing new life and buoyancy to once drowning spirits. All around, vikings were finishing their new daily routines of building and rebuilding as the sun sank lower into the skies and nearer the horizon. Looking towards the setting sun, one could see the silhouettes of two dragons cuddled close together. The docks were almost completely quite, save for the one or two souls finishing up their daily duties before heading back to the Great Hall or one of the remaining houses on Berk.<p>

The two dragon's sat in relative quite only interrupted by the subtle movements of the waters and the occasional clammer of Berk. Save for those few instances, the pair sat contently in each other's company. It had honestly been a while since the two really spent time together like this. Both always had something they needed to do, whether it was Berk responsibilities, household responsibilities, or something else that may have risen. Now that they were both working towards a common goal again, they got the opportunity to love each other properly once again. Even if it was small, something good came out of such a horrible disaster.

"Sixteen," Hiccup said softly to Toothless. The larger dragon nodded his head in response, draping his wing around his mate comfortingly.

"It's been a while since I last saw so many vigil fires going at once," Hiccup said. Toothless gently licked the smaller dragon and motioned out towards the setting sun.

"Many people did die during or shortly after the fire. There's nothing more we can do for them and they're in a better place. Somewhere they won't have to suffer the burdens of life. If anything, we should be grateful no one else was taken from us. We should be proud of ourselves for acting so quickly," Toothless said, "The vikings were taken by surprise with Dagur's sudden invasion, but if I know vikings, they know how to put out a fire." Hiccup managed a smile and nodded his head. The smaller dragon turned his head to look up at Toothless.

"You know it's only a matter of time before our luck runs out," the Night Fury said softly, "One of us could go, or someone close." Toothless looked down at Hiccup with a understanding gaze, but the dragon looked away and into the setting sun once again, a new glint in his eyes.

"Then it's our job to protect one another," Toothless said, looking back down at Hiccup, "We are family, and families keep each other safe no matter what." Hiccup raised a brow at Toothless and nodded his head curtly. The smaller dragon couldn't help but smile and laugh a little at his companion. Toothless cocked his head slightly to the side, not too sure if he should be feeling embarrassed or offended.

"When did you start getting so wise?" Hiccup asked. Toothless smiled at the question and hugged Hiccup tightly.

"Since you decided to start listening," Toothless said. Hiccup looked up the best he could from the hug and gave the dragon a slightly offended look.

"Hey I listen!" Hiccup half yelled, looking around embarrassed when he realized how loud he was being. Toothless let go of the smaller dragon and shook his head, still with that same beautiful smile of his.

"I meant back at the cove, Hiccup," Toothless said, motioning in the approximate direction of the said cove. Hiccup momentarily glanced in the direction and smiled, shaking his head softly.

"I always knew what you were thinking," Hiccup said playfully, "Even if we didn't have words to say, I knew." Toothless rolled his eyes, but truthfully, the smaller dragon wasn't wrong. Speaking of smaller dragon's, Toothless could hear the sudden soft patter of feet rapidly approaching, followed by calmer, heavier steps. Before he had time to look back there was a sudden weight upon his head. Two big, playful eyes looked into his before the little dragon hopped off his face and latched onto Hiccup's.

"Hello Mr. Hiccup!" little Ryuu cheered loudly, "I haven't seen you in forever!" Hiccup laughed at the smaller dragon and pulled him from his face and into his arms.

"Ryuu, it's hardly been a day or two," Hiccup said in a lighter, sweeter tone that Toothless rarely ever heard. It was the way Hiccup got around children. He changes, sures he's still the same old Hiccup with the same old dry humor, but the atmosphere around him changes. The air becomes so much more energetic yet calming. It just seems so much warmer and inviting with his soft voice, smooth gestures, calming nature, and his welcoming vibe. It was a Hiccup that Toothless found so attractive, yet, every time Hiccup became like this, he felt a pit in his stomach. Of course he would love to start a family with Hiccup, but there's still so much more to life that he wanted to explore and experience first. It always seemed that his own desires trumped Hiccup, at least for this, and he always felt horrible about it.

An awkward shuffling of feet attracted Toothless' attention. Next to him, the boy he'd seen around quite frequently was looking at the two other dragons carrying on an innocent and cute conversation. The boy's eyes were strangely absent, cold, and had an aura of burden. Though who could blame the kid, his father lied to his family and caused not only Berk, but probably numerous other villages and homes along the way to be burnt and destroyed be the dragons who slowly stalked them around the globe, and he was paying for that everyday. It was hard for Toothless to imagine, however, that two dragon's couldn't track down a simple boat, especially one that was a severely different style than the ones around. Unless they got a later start, then in that case it could be a completely different story.

"May I help you?" Tatsuo said blandly. Toothless realized he was staring for far too long and the boy was looking at him with those same void like eyes. Those black eyes seemed to cut through the dragon's tough hide and stab his soul. Toothless shook his head in response, ignoring the interesting feelings he had welling in his chest.

"No," Toothless said, letting the words slip out in a fashion that gave off quite a rude tone. The dragon didn't quite mean for his words to come out in such a way, but he honestly didn't care, not with this boy. For all he cared, him and his family could disappear one day, without a trace and never to be seen again, yet, Toothless would always find himself feeling guilty for having such hateful thoughts. He couldn't help it, it seemed like everytime a stranger came to Berk, bad events would transpire, one after another, and Toothless was left helpless to defend his home and his loved ones. He was thankful for Hiccup, providing the love and kindness he sometimes lacked. It reminded him who he was now, and not who he was before.

"Ryuu," Tatsuo said, his voice dropping in pitch just slightly as if showing some sort of dominance over the little dragon that made Toothless really question the type of brotherly relationship the two had. Just the way his voice sounded in that single word made it seem like it was a master addressing his pet...and it made Toothless feel a little sick.

"Let us be on our way," Tatsuo continued, slowly walking towards Hiccup. The boy reached out his hands and roughly snatched the small dragon from Hiccup's arms. A small protest from Ryuu was quickly diminished when Tatsuo lowered the dragon into his shirt, letting the Ryuu's head poke from the top and look at the world around him.

"Are you comfortable?" Tatsuo asked softly and monotonically. Ryuu replied with a small, and very much annoyed nod. With that, the boy turned towards Hiccup and he managed a weak smile.

"I apologize again for the other night," he said with weird hint in his voice almost implying he wasn't sorry at all, and with a final wave and cheery goodbye from Ryuu, the boy and the dragon were gone. Toothless looked at Hiccup, obviously curious about what the strange kid was talking about.

"He's sorry for what now?" Toothless asked. Hiccup looked at Toothless with a guilty, yet angered look. The dragon shuffled his feet uncomfortably and glanced over at the sun finally slipping over the horizon, sending the world slowly spinning into the dark abyss that is night. All around Berk, torches were being lit, setting up a subtle light that matched the dying flames of the sun as it drowned under the ocean waves.

"Well, when we had that fight the other night, I went up to the cliff near the village. The trail was worn in over there, but I thought I could be alone for most of the night and just think and vent to the trees or something," Hiccup started off, making use of his usual hand gestures as he described the scene laid out before him, "I was talking to myself or something like I usually do when I hear noises coming from nearby. Thats when Tatsuo comes over the hill, alone, and sits near me. He starts asking me questions and I start getting aggravated with him. I just wanted to be alone and the kid just keeps asking weird questions and being weird. I yelled at him for some piece and quiet and then he decides to..." Hiccup trailed off, hating to think of the unwanted lips pressed against his own. The weird boy and his weird habits and his weird everything. It seemed like everyone else who came with him was normal and acting just fine around him and the other vikings, but oh no, not Tatsuo. His own family even admitted he was a bit strange.

"Decides to?" Toothless asks, persisting the conversation further. Hiccup presses two claws together and looks down and away from Toothless' gaze. Glancing up for a short moment, Hiccup spills the unwanted deeds.

"He decides...he felt...he misinterpreted the situation...and thought there was a lust, no not lust, forget I said that...that there was a weird sexual, no no no, forget that too, that I was giving off some sort of signal...so," Hiccup said, trailing off once again.

"...so?" Toothless persisted, already not liking anything about what Hiccup just said, or rather what he tried to say then denied repeatedly.

"He kissed him out of the blue," Hiccup said. Toothless' eyes widen with shock more than anything. Thoughts flashed through the Night Fury's head. Why did Hiccup kiss him? How dare he kiss my Hiccup! I will make sure he never touches my dragon in the same way again! Along with other angered phrases and cuss filled sentences.

"And you never told me?" Toothless said. Hiccup looked at him with shock this time, not believing the words that just left the dragon's mouth.

"I'm sorry, but the village kinda burnt to the ground if you hadn't noticed," Hiccup said angrily, motioning to the city. Toothless rolled his eyes at the comment and looked passed the dragon.

"Where did he go?" Toothless said.

"No, you are not doing anything to that kid," Hiccup said, stepping in front of Toothless' line of sight.

"And why not?" Toothless said angrily.

"Because he's a kid Toothless, a kid," Hiccup said with a calmer, gentler voice, "Yes he kissed me, yes he's weird, more importantly why are you not questioning the fact that he, a human child, kissed me, a dragon teen. He's still young physically and mentally, especially when I was at that age. Sure I was a lot scrawnier, but his head just isn't quite there yet." Toothless snorted slightly at the excuse Hiccup was making for this kid that the larger Night Fury already didn't like, and now, didn't like much more.

"Can't we have normal people come to Berk? Not insane vikings, or sorceresses, or little dragon's that have never been seen before, or weird kids who kiss dragons," Toothless stopped himself short, rethinking what Hiccup just asked and the last few words he said, "Wait...wait, what? Where did you say he was from?"

"They said Japan," Hiccup said. Toothless thought about it and drew random shapes in the air as if he was piecing together a fantastic puzzle that would solve life's questions.

"I don't know where that is," Toothless finally said. Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed softly to himself, explaining it was a long ways away. Toothless stepped closer to his mate, pulling him in for a hug. Hiccup was caught a little off guard, but slowly closed his paws around his mate.

"So how was the kiss?" Toothless whispered. Hiccup pushed the dragon away some to look at him, giving him an annoyed look. Toothless just smiled softly in response and kissed his Night Fury gently.

"I don't care if he kissed you. Okay that was a lie, I really do care and its going to bug me for a while, but I know you and I know that you'd never kiss another guy, or girl, or dragon, or whatever," Toothless said softly, "I know you love me, and you know I love you. Let's move past this and focus on tomorrow. Just promise me one thing before we leave though."

"Yes?"

"If we do run into trouble, promise me you'll make it through tomorrow alive."


	6. Chapter 6

**Well I'm back! The musical is over, and it went fantastic if you were wondering. I also moved in the time between the last update, the musical and now, which is kinda part of the reason I wasn't able to write anything. No internet, and no proper computer set up. So I hope you'll enjoy this and let the story continue!**

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><p>The air was unusually cold for this time of the year. The skies were covered in thick layers of darkening clouds. It was sight that marked an oncoming storm. Lightning struck out among the heavens and thunder roared heavily in great length as if Thor himself was showing his displeasure for the unfortunate events that befell the villagers of Berk, his loyal and devoted worshippers, yet as the sounds and displays of lights went on, no rain fell from the darkened skies. Only the rumbling of thunder and cracks of lightning filled the oddly dry air.<p>

A Night Fury stared up into the skies, watching as patches of light flickered across the clouds sending out a low rumbling that went straight to the bone. His instincts told him to stay grounded until the storm passed, but his mind told him to push forward regardless. Brave the storm and put suspicious to rest permanently. Still, the nagging feeling in his gut told him otherwise. He already knew that the day was going to be long and eventful. Whether that was a good thing or bad, he still had yet to see. Just as long as everyone made it back in one piece.

"Toothless?" a voice called out softly, "Spitelout decided we should wait until the storm passes before we leave." With those few simple words, the skies above slowly came to a resound silence. Not a crack of lightning nor a rumble of thunder was seen or heard after. Hiccup looked into the skies, wondering if it were mere coincidence, or if godly powers were at work. Hiccup looked to Toothless, noticing his dragon's eyes were fixated on the skies still.

"Are you sure we should do this?" Toothless asked. Hiccup raised a brow at the question and looked to the skies as well, watching the slow moving clouds as they passed over Berk.

"Yes, we need to know for sure," Hiccup said confidently, "What is it?" Toothless watched the skies for a few moments longer, thinking back and remembering how the world looked nearly a year ago.

"The sky looked just like this," Toothless said, "and to think, it's been nearly a year." Hiccup sat next to Toothless, curling his tail around his mate comfortingly.

"If anything, you should be grateful this happened," Hiccup said with a soft laugh, "If it didn't, none of this would've happen. Things would've played out so differently, and I doubt we could've been able to handle them. Most importantly, there would've been no us." Toothless smiled and looked over at Hiccup and nodded. Even when the stakes were high, it was nice the two dragons were able to forget their worries, even for just a moment, when they were around each other. It always seemed to be like that with the two. They just gave off their own energy when they were around. The air, stopped feeling so cold, and the atmosphere seemed to return to life. Toothless looked at his mate and licked his head affectionately. Hiccup returned the gesture, only licking Toothless' cheek.

"We're gonna be fine," Hiccup said optimistically, "We've always been fine. We've always made it out, and if the Outcasts are there, then we'll came it through it together." Toothless nodded and moved closer to Hiccup, just enjoying the moment.

"Promise me you'll be okay?" Toothless whispered. Hiccup nodded his head softly, letting himself lean against his mate.

"If you promise me you will," Hiccup responded softly, watching as the waves rippled out from the harbor docks. Toothless nodded his head, staring out into the skies, waiting for the time to come.

Heavy footsteps attracted both the dragon's attention, seeing Spitelout stomp his way closer to the pair.

"We're leaving," He said with a bit of bounce in his voice and when the dragon's didn't immediately respond he added a harsh, "That means right now." With that, Hiccup's uncle stalked off, heading out of the harbor and back into what remained of lower Berk. The two Night Furies looked in slight annoyance at the brittle patience that particular viking had. Hiccup sighed softly and stretched himself out.

"Well let's not keeping him waiting."

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><p>Thoughts whirled through Hiccup's head as the wind pushed against him. A part of Hiccup wanted to find at least some shred of evidence suggesting the Outcasts were there just so he could validate himself, yet another part wants there to be nothing and for his life to return to normalcy. After what happened to Berk the first time he wished life would spice up, he decided that a normal life wouldn't be such a bad idea.<p>

"Hiccup, you alright?" a voice called from behind. Hiccup glanced back, seeing Johan behind him with a bandaged hand. The dragon wondered how he even got to go on this mission considering how innately clumsy he could be at times, though, when you really needed him, he always managed to pull through in the end. Hiccup smiled and nodded his head, turning his head back towards the front of the formation.

To his right was Toothless, and behind him was Johan on his Nadder, and another viking on his gronckle. In front of Hiccup was Snotlout, riding Hookfang, and next to him was Astrid, riding on Stormfly, and at the very front of the formation, was Spitelout, riding his own Monstrous Nightmare he named Snarefang. Almost as if he knew Hiccup was thinking of him, the viking looked back over his shoulder, watching the formation with careful eyes before turning his head back.

"We're almost there, remain in formation," Spitelout shouted over his shoulder. Hiccup glanced over and saw Toothless looked a bit uneasy, causing him to feel even more uneasy about the situation. The closer they got to Outcast Island, the closer Hiccup felt to puking.

_"Maybe this really was a mistake," _Hiccup thought to himself, _"Maybe Dad was right, maybe we should turn back before its too late." _Time seemed to pass to quickly. The group was already upon Outcast Island. From a distance, the skies around it seemed to give off a sickly hue warning all to keep away. The island itself was just a mass of charcoal black broken rocks jutting out from just about every corner of it. It looked so desolate and run down, but Hiccup figured it must've always looked that way. Just looking at it made Hiccup regret doing this. He knew he'd have to go check sooner or later, but he was afraid of what he might find. More conflict.

"Get ready to land," Spitelout shouted out, "And vigilant!" Spitelout and Snarefang dropped down quickly, keeping in line with the approaching land. With graceful landings, the group successfully arrived at Outcast Island. As soon as they landed, Hiccup moved closer to Toothless, feeling extremely uneasy at this point. The ground underneath Hiccup's feet felt oddly ashy and warm as if the island itself was alive.

"Eyes front," Spitelout whispered harshly back as he dismounted Snarefang. Spitelout looked back with an icy glare which Snarefang also gave. The two didn't intimidate Hiccup as much as annoy him, but he went along with his uncle's orders since he was the viking in charge of the whole scout mission. Spitelout raised his hand and motioned to head out. The group stayed close together and kept themselves alert at all times.

It was clear that the island was abandoned. The place was in a sorry state with shack falling apart without proper maintenance. Everything looked temporary as it was and with no one to replace the decaying parts, the island itself just seemed to start dying. Rusting metal, broken down shacks, decaying wood, and strange smells that just drifted out of reach for the longest time offering no origin point.

The uneasy feeling in Hiccup's chest lightened, if only for a moment, to allow a brittle feeling of relief wash over him. He would feel completely relieved but the howling of the wind, the creaking of wood, and the desolate atmosphere seemed anything but right. It seemed desolate, but not, at the same time and the dragon just couldn't figure out why.

"You feel it too don't you?" Toothless said, looking around. Hiccup nodded his head.

"Feel what?" Spitelout asked in a loud whisper. Hiccup looked forward, noticing the group was now staring at him. In the past, he would've felt very self conscious and tried to get eyes off of him at all costs, considering back then they were usually scorns of disapproval. This time, however, he felt the safest when he was with Toothless and his friends.

"It doesn't feel..._completely_ abandoned," Toothless said softly. It felt as if someone was constantly watching from the shadows which put the group in an uneasy position. They reacted to every little pebble that got shifted, every creaking of wood that the passing wind blew, every sound that seemed abnormal.

"Why did we have to come in such a small group?" Johan whispered to his Nadder softly. The Nadder nodded and moved closer to his rider to comfort him as much as possible. Astrid suddenly stopped in front of the two Night Furies and stared at large door leading down into what seemed to be an arena. Spitelout glanced over his shoulder and saw the group stationary, staring at the door. Spitelout drew back, going to the door and swinging it open.

A swarm of bats few from the depths of the caves and out into the air, disappearing from view rather quickly. Spitelout looked back into the cave, shaking his head heavily to clear his mind. The viking held up a torch and allowed Snarefang to light it before he threw it into the doorway. It revealed a staircase that led a few feet down before it widened out into the arena.

"Follow," Spitelout said, heading down the stairs. The vikings nodded and followed him down. Hiccup headed for the doorway but noticed how narrowed it seemed. The Night Fury tried to fit through it but was unable to get his body through.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called out. Within a few moments, the female viking reappeared, her blonde hair shining in the dull light. She covered her mouth quickly, stifling the laughter that was quickly bubbling up in her chest.

"Ah yes, haha, very funny, push me out," Hiccup said. Astrid nodded and pushed against the dragon's head while Toothless pulled from the other end of the Night Fury. With a few short pushes and pulls, the smaller dragon was successfully freed from the clutches of the dastardly doorway.

"Knowing how giant vikings can be, I really want to know how any of them fit through that," Hiccup asked with annoyance. This wasn't the first time he was left out of something because of dragonesque nature.

"Just stay here, we won't be long," Astrid said, "and stay out of trouble!" She added the last part with a bit of sarcasm, trying her best to imitate Stoick, just knowing it would annoy the dragon. Hiccup rolled his eyes and Toothless just nodded in response to her teasing, knowing it would annoy Hiccup a bit.

"Well now you're stuck out here with the dragons," Toothless said, sitting down near the doorway. Hiccup rolled his eyes and sat next to Toothless.

"I thought I _was_ one of the dragons," Hiccup said, laying on his stomach and crossing one paw over the other, "I just don't like the idea of them going down there without us. It's probably because it's Outcast Island, but the air, this island, just doesn't feel quite right. It's like I can feel someone else here, but I just don't know where, or if they even exist, but I feel it alright. Who knows, maybe I'm just feeling an echo."

The sound of rocks falling in the distance caught the dragon's attention. All heads turned towards the sound, seeing just a few small rocks cascading down a hill.

"Toothless," Hiccup whispered.

"I know," Toothless said softly.

At that moment, the entire island went quiet. Any wildlife that was making sound ceased their activity, awaiting the approaching storm. Hiccup could feel his heart beating rapidly as the moments ticked back. Moment after agonizing moment went by when more rocks fell down the hill. From the shadows loomed a massively dark shadow. Just out of sight, just far enough away, just out of the light.

"Astrid," Hiccup said softly. Nothing, and the rocks moved more and more.

"Astrid," Hiccup called out again, louder this time. Still, no response and the shadow moved closer towards the light. Hiccup didn't know why his heart was beating so hard, or why he desperately didn't want to see whatever lurked beyond the shadows. Deep down, he was terrified of what he would see. Of _who_ he would see.

It was one of Stoick's greatest regrets that he let him leave. The horrible stories that were told to him when he was younger of the awful man who betrayed his tribe and created an outcast tribe. The stories that told of how wickedly cruel he could be, but of how strategically brilliant he was. He knew what to do and when to do it. When the opportunity seemed best, he would wait just a few moments later when the world least expected it and he struck out viciously. What was so different about him was that he had a conscious, he could differentiate from right and wrong, but he chose the wrong path so many times. He was capable of mercy, but rarely showed it. He was capable of ending lives, yet he rarely did. He was capable of so many amazingly fantastic and horrible gruesome things, but he would routinely choose the latter of the two.

The shadow moved again sending more rocks cascading down the hill. This time, the shadow kept moving, closer and closer to the light. Hiccup felt as if his heart stopped.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called out, signalling the viking still within the arena. The shadow disappeared from sight. For a moment, it was there, and then, it was gone. That feeling of relief never came this time, for a quiet moment like this only comes before a storm hits.

A sharp metallic ringing made the dragon's head turn. Lodged inside the wooden frame of the door was a old arrow. Hiccup's heart began beating again, this time more rapidly than before. A fight was coming, and he knew just how bad fights were in the past. Turning his head back, Hiccup saw several Outcast vikings rushing from the shadows of distant rocks. Astrid and the others emerged from the arena and the group hurriedly formed a defensive position.

A loud explosive sound caught Hiccup off guard, his ears ringing from the sudden sound. Looking around him, the dragons and vikings of Berk were firing arrows, throwing weapons, firing off walls of flames, bursts of lava, or explosive plasma blasts. All around him, he saw one Outcast viking fall after another. Hiccup felt a feeling well up in his chest and push itself out of his mouth. A plasma blast shot out from the Night Fury and into the crowd of vikings making their way closer. It contacted and sent several of the vikings flying, blood splattering over the black earth. Hiccup's heart lurched when he saw the sight. He didn't know if he could do this. Too many bad memories were flooding back into his mind. The blood, the pain, the destruction, the death, the horrible sights, oh gods, the things he saw, the dismembered corpses, the showers of blood raining down on Berk, the fires, the ungodly amount of corpses piled up, the storm of arrows raining down, the screaming vikings, the cries of agony, the distant rumbling of fights. It was all hitting him at once.

Yet, the dragon fired off another blast, and another, and another. Into the vikings those blasts soared, hitting them with enough force to kill them, but keep it clean. No blood, no gore, just a quick, hopefully painless death. The viking numbers were quickly dwindling and while the Berk vikings were outnumbered, they had dragons on their side.

"Retreat," Spitelout said calmly, keeping his head cool during the entire situation. The vikings quickly mounted their dragons and took to the skies. The whole ordeal flashed by so quickly for Hiccup. One moment their fighting on the ashen earth, and the next, they're in the air with a volley of arrows trailing after them.

"Oh hell!" someone shouted from behind. Toothless was falling through the air, an arrow lodged into his tailfin, effecting jamming it. Hiccup's heart stopped for another time that day, watching his mate fall back down to the island and into the clutches of the Outcast vikings. Time went by so slowly as Hiccup watched Toothless slam into the ground and stop moving as the vikings drew closer and closer.

Hiccup dropped out of the sky, diving straight for his mate. He didn't have a plan, but he was pretty good a winging it, hopefully this would be one of those lucky times winging it actually pulled through. He could hear the shouts from the Berk vikings and dragons, telling him how bad of an idea it was, or to stop, to come back, to leave him. As if he could just leave him. Gods know what they'd do to him. He had to try.

Hiccup hit the ground hard, sending blast after blast at the vikings. They were probably the strongest plasma blasts he'd ever let loose. They hit the small crowd of vikings with devastating results. Several flew in different directions, others fell to the ground from the blast wave. Blood coated the ground, parts of different vikings went here and there. Debris sailed into surrounding vikings. Those two devastating blasts took down a good portion of them. Looking higher up into the air, Hiccup could see even more vikings coming down from the hills. That brief moment that he truly believed he could fend off all of them quickly disappeared. The Berk vikings dropped down next to him along with their dragons and fired off what defense they had.

"When I say retreat, we retreat!" Spitelout shouted in Hiccup's face. Hiccup stared right back at his superior and gave him a menacing glare.

"I don't leave _anyone_ behind!" Hiccup yelled back, turning towards the approaching vikings and firing off blast after blast until he was completely spent.

A horrible screeching sound reached his ears. Stormfly was hit with an arrow. Turning back, he saw Hookfang with a nasty cut along his shoulder and it was bleeding pretty badly. Snotlout was in no better condition. All around him, his comrades were getting hurt.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, pushing on the dragon, "Wake up now! Wake up!" His heart was pounding harder and harder, desperately waiting for the dragon to wake up so they could leave, so they could get out of this horrid place. The Night Fury remained unconscious, breathing and alive, but so deep under that nothing seemed to wake up.

"Retreat!" Spitelout yelled, "Leave him Hiccup!" The vikings slowly drew back, fighting off the remaining outcasts as long as possible.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout yelled, "We will come back for him! You have to let him go!" Hiccup couldn't find it in his heart to leave Toothless here, fully knowing what they could and probably would do to him. He heard too many stories as a kid to just blindly believe that his Toothless would be fine. No, he knew exactly what they'd do to him. These murdering, pillaging, raping, disgusting excuse for vikings would torture him, and kill him if their demands were not met. He had to get him out.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled atop her dragon.

"Move your _ass_ Night Fury!" Stormfly shouted, sending a few needles at the vikings, successfully taking down several. She was met with a few arrows being shot in her direction. Hiccup tried picking Toothless up, but he was just too heavy for the Night Fury to carry. He looked around desperately, but he knew the other dragon's wouldn't be able to carry him with his injuries. The Outcasts vikings were getting ever closer, and he knew he would have to leave him, but he just couldn't, he just couldn't leave him here.

"Hiccup _now_!" Johan yelled atop his Nadder as they lifted into the air. Hiccup grinded his teeth together so much it hurt. A few desperate tears escaped from Hiccup's eyes as he turned away from his mate, and lifted off into the sky.

Hiccup made it up a few feet before a hard object hit his head. The world around him went fuzzy for a few moments, the shouts and screams from his comrades slowly became muffled and faded as the world around him quickly succumbed to a black void.

The Night Fury hit the ground near his mate, unconscious, as the Outcast vikings were upon them.


	7. Chapter 7

There was nothing for the longest time. Then, there was a slow sensation dawning upon him. The feeling of being dragged across the floor. It stung a little bit, but Hiccup didn't have the strength to protest either way. It was so dark for some reason. He tried opening his eyes but they wouldn't budge, they just stayed closed and blinded him from his surroundings. It was cold. Hiccup never really felt too cold since he was a dragon, but this, this was just a different kind of cold all together, like it wasn't really coming from around him, but within him. The dragging persisted for a while. A few bumps here and there and the slightest sounds of whispering. He could never make out the words as they were always just out of reach for some reason. Hiccup was too dazed to really comprehend what was going on, where he was at, who he was with, it was all just a mystery to him. One mystery that he was too tired and too out of it to solve. His head hurt, he knew that much. The last thing he clearly remembered was walking towards the docks with thunder and lightning flashing across the sky.

_"What happened after that?" _Hiccup thought to himself. No matter how hard he tried, a wall just kept him back, as if there was nothing there to begin with, just black empty space in his mind. His head still hurt like hell and it didn't feel like it was going away soon. What was this other pain? He realized he was being dragged by his tail. Along with that, he could feel the cold and chaffing feeling of chains.

The dragging stopped for a moment and a muffled sound rung through his head, intensifying his headache. The Night Fury squeezed his eyes as if to block out the sound. He suddenly felt weightless for a moment or two before hitting into something hard and rolling a few feet. Now his side hurt as well. Maybe, maybe he should just rest for a bit, forget the worries of now and succumb to the sleep that was dragging down his eyes. Sweet, sweet sleep.

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><p>Toothless could slowly feel his senses returning to him. It just started off as a dim haze of light that slowly grew brighter and brighter. A loud ringing was ever present as his mind tried to adjust to the sounds around him. It was hard to concentrate, even though the room was next to silent. He felt a bit weightless, as he was being suspended from something. Glancing around with blurred vision, he could see chains propping his body up in the air. It was strange, seeing these cold metallic objects grasping at his scales. He didn't quite realize where he was, for a moment or two who he was. It just came rushing back quickly.<p>

Lusolith, the hive, Hiccup, his name.

_"Toothless," _He thought to himself, _"Hiccup?" _He looked around again, noticing the room, no the cell completely vacant. It started to stir inside of him that something was deeply, deeply wrong. Something had gone terribly wrong. He knew they were suppose to go to Outcast Island, and he knew they were there, that he was there. He was at Outcast Island. He was a prisoner. As if he came full circle, back to being a slave once again.

Toothless thrashed about wildly, trying his hardest to break the chains, but no matter how hard he tried, they just wouldn't budge. He tried to angle himself so he could fire a plasma blast at, well, any of the chains, but he just couldn't. He then realized he was wearing a muzzle, and that was the reason his mouth wouldn't open completely. His thrashing slowly died down as his strength slowly weakened. His will was still strong, he still had a purpose. He had to get out, and he had to get back to Hiccup. Surely Hiccup wasn't captured. None of them were captured right?

A clanking on the metal bars in front of him suddenly attracted his attention. He didn't know who it was, all he could see was a silhouette in front of a bright light. This person stayed like this for a few moments that seemed to last forever and just stared into the cell. The viking paced a few steps as if examining the dragon before him. Just patiently watching, like he was waiting.

_"Waiting for what?"_ Toothless thought to himself. He knew it was a longshot, but he opened his mouth the best he could and tried muttering out just a few words.

"What do you want?" Toothless barely managed to muttered out through the restraints. The viking suddenly stopped his pacing and concentrated his gaze on the dragon. The viking put his hands around the bars and stared deeper into the cell, tempting his fate by getting as close as possible.

"What do you want?" Toothless repeated. The figure wrapped it's fingers around the metal bars and bent them towards him just ever so slightly. The viking suddenly let go of the bars and walked away, and with it, the once bright light. Now it was just dark outside the cell. Nothing illuminating the cave but a small, small window at the top of the room. Just three bars, and terribly small, but the moon shone through it, providing the smallest amount of light. Just the smallest amount of hope.

* * *

><p>Hiccup opened his eyes slowly, wondering where he was. The walls were dark and rocky, the ground was hard and cold, and the air was stale and musky. His body ached so much that he wondered if he should even try to move, and when he decided to take a risk, he felt the chains. His was chained all over, and left on the floor, unable to move out. When he tried to scream out for anyone, his mouth was held closed by a heavy wooden muzzle. He tried to fight against it, but it was much too strong. Hiccup started to freak out, trying to move but unable too, like the walls around him were just too small and just getting smaller and smaller. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his panic attack slowly subsided and his heart beat slowly, and every so slightly died down. He needed to focus.<p>

_"I'm in a cell," _Hiccup thought to himself, seeing the heavy iron bars in front of him,_ "Where, where could this place be? Why am I here? Rewind Hiccup, rewind. Today we were going to Outcast Island, and we...No no no no no, did we fail? Did I fail? They were here? Of course they were here. Dad was just too stubborn to admit it. Why did I have to see that boat? Why did I have to go chasing after it in the first place? Why did I have to go looking for trouble?"_

A loud bang scared Hiccup to death. There was another bang, and another, and another. Then it was suddenly quiet. Out of the blue there was this horrible, horrible screeching sounds and then another bang. He could hear the sound of something hard hitting flesh. The sound liquids make when smash suddenly rippled throughout the enclosed space. The tears started coming back.

_"Don't tell me," _Hiccup thought in fear, _"Please tell me no one else is here besides me. Please tell me that was some food, some food that, that that screeches? Oh gods, oh gods, please don't let that be anyone!"_

Outside his cell, he could see a hard rock wall that looked burnt black. On that wall was a single torch that provide some amount of light. Hiccup's heart froze when he stared out into that small little hall and saw some reddish liquid slowly making its way into his cell. It was just pooling and spreading, the harsh scent of blood filled the room. Hard footsteps bad their way closer to his cell door. A figure loomed in front of the bars, holding a large war hammer. It was terrifying, the way the blood on the hammer glistened in the dim light. This wasn't just covered a little in blood, this hammer was drenched in it. Blood just dripped down from it in an almost constant stream.

The man set the hammer down for a moment, leaning it it slightly. He stared into the cage at Hiccup, watching as the dragon slowly wept silent tears that hit the ground with inaudible splashes. The man started to chuckle a bit before turning into a harsh, and rough laughter.

"Well all we have left is you little dragon," The man said with an invisible smile, shrouded in darkness, "We still can't decide if we want to kill you and sell your hide for a high profit, or just extract every little bit of knowledge from you. The secrets of the elusive Night Fury! Oh, its just so exciting! I can't wait to play with that brittle little body of yours and figure out all its secrets! I know I'm going to have more fun with you than the other vikings!" With that, the viking swung the hammer back over his shoulder and waltzed off, looking quite content with himself. Hiccup stared in complete shock and horror.

_"Other...other vikings?" _Hiccup thought to himself as the pool of blood slowly came to a stop outside his cell, just sitting and glistening in the dim light.

* * *

><p>It was several hours before Hiccup was fed anything, and when the food came, it was bland, tasteless, and small. It was enough for him to survive on for a while longer, but he knew they were trying to break him down as much as possible for whatever reason. Every once and a while, there was the same silhouette outside the cell door, watching him with careful eyes. It wasn't the same viking the first time, the one who had the blood stained warhammer, but just a smaller body, with a careful look on him. He, maybe it was a she, would always watch him for the longest time as he layed alone in the cell room, unable to properly move. Watching as everyone in a while, Hiccup would start to cry. It was never loud, just silent tears that moved down his face and onto the ground.<p>

"Crying is only going to make you dehydrated," the voice said. It was the first time Hiccup ever heard him talk, but he talked so low and almost inaudible. He left for a few moments and then returned with a bowl of water, he grabbed a nearby stick and slowly slid it towards Hiccup, making sure it got close enough. Hiccup looked down at the bowl and up at the viking. The figure just stood there, watching intently and moved his hand out, gesture for the dragon to drink. Hiccup sniffed the bowl a few times, finding nothing wrong with it at all. The dragon hesitantly took a few laps from the bowl. After a few moments of nothing happening, which quite shocked the dragon, he took a few more, and more, until the bowl was completely empty.

Looking up, Hiccup saw the same stick come back into the cell and snatch away the bowl. The figure quickly left and returned. He looked worried about something, like, this was clearly visible. The got closer to the cell door an cups his hands, hoping that the sound would only travel into the cell.

"Listen, you have to trust me, okay?" the man said, "I know you have nothing to go on, but you're going to have to." With that, the figure disappeared once again, this time, permanently.

* * *

><p>Toothless was having trouble keeping awake when the cell doors suddenly flung open. It was just one man, and with his sleep deprivation, he couldn't see quite right. It was just all a blur to him. The man held up a bowl full of what seemed to be water.<p>

"Drink it," the man whispered softly. Toothless, not in the correct state of mind, obediently drank from the bowl until it was nearly empty. The final lap, he caught something metallic with his tongue and brought it into his mouth. Looking down, the bowl slowly retracted.

"There is a time and a place," the man said softly, "You are being less guarded. I'll come back soon enough, but for now you have to keep the key or else he'll find it. He always does. When I can, I'll get you out and we'll get your friend two and you both can leave."

With those parting words, the man who seemed to be a moving silhouette left the room rather quickly, letting the door close loudly. Words were exchanged outside the cell door and footsteps grew more distant until nothing remained but the soft breathing of Toothless. The dragon shifted the key in his mouth and let it sit before he slowly succumbed to the weights on his eyes as darkness slowly enveloped him.

* * *

><p>Something grabbed Hiccup's head and forced it upwards, causing the dragon to wake with quite the start. A bright light was being shined into his eyes, blinding him for a few moments. In that time, chains around him were being rearranged so that he was sitting upwards, staring towards the entrance of the cell. As suddenly as they were loosened, the chains returned to their painful hold, keeping his body in such a position. At least it was more comfortable than before. Vikings fled the room quickly and another, larger man entered. Hiccup knew the face from one or two encounters Berk had with him in the past.<p>

Alvin the Outcast, Alvin the Treacherous, formerly known as Alvin the Brave back when he was still a part of Berk. The large man with dark brown hair that looked severly ungroomed. His teeth were jutting each way. His skin was lined with scars, ranging from small to very large. His face looked disgruntled, but happy in a way with the wicked smile that seemed cut into his face. This viking was large, larger than Stoick and his clothing matched the Outcasted look. Rough, dirty, cut up, and worn down.

Alvin was dragging a stool behind him and stopped directly in front of Hiccup. He set the stool down, and sat down in front of the dragon. He leaned on his left knee, using his elbow for support. The Outcast chief looked up and down at the dragon sitting in front of him, watching his movements meticulously. The chief looked up into the Night Fury's eyes and stared for a few long moments, judging him intently.

"I didn't think it was possible," Alvin said with his harsh voice, "but here you are, alive and well. I'm going to be honest with you boy, I thought it was all some joke played on poor old Alvin here. I don't like jokes." Alvin looked at the boy, noticing his worried expression and frankly deprived look.

"You are definitely not the boy you once were," Alvin said with an interested smile, "You were such a disappointment back then. Couldn't even hold a sword, let alone kill a dragon. You were just this little thing that looked like a passing breeze could knock you over." Alvin let out a short and loud laugh, wiping away a tear that was never there to begin with.

"Who would'a thought you'd end up in old Alvie's hands now, huh?" the Outcast chief said with slight excitement, "Now, tell me everything you know leading up to this. What happened while we were away? Actually, what happened to you?" Hiccup stared at the Outcast chief like he was insane, and he honestly believed he was too. The muzzled still confined Hiccup's mouth and prevented him from the slightest of words.

"Oh, let me help you with that," Alvin said sarcastically, ripping the muzzle off, "Now, tell me what you know." Hiccup stared at the chief defiantly, not caring what the chief wanted.

"Oh, not a talker I see. Well you know that blood that pooled outside of your cell just last night? That belonged to a Nadder you see. Now, who did that Nadder belong too? Was it that boy Johan? I think that's what his name was. I didn't really pay attention to names. I mean, he didn't talk so whats the use for him and his dragon right?" Alvin said with a slight chuckle. Hiccup looked on, absolutely horrified. It seemed like he was going to puke, hearing that awful screeching followed by that juice filled smashing.

_"Johan can't be dead...he can't be...his...his Nadder can't be dead,"_ Hiccup thought to himself. Alvin stood up slowly, stretching himself out and popping his fingers.

"If you won't talk, I'll just have Savage grab another one of those vikings and try to get them to talk. If they don't, well, then I'll just have to kill 'em," Alvin said with such a sadistic tone. What happened to the brave man in the stories his dad always told him? Could he really have gone this far off the deep end, or was this how he always was, and his banishment only let this part of him free?

"Wait," Hiccup whispered out, "Just...what do you want to know." Alvin looked over his shoulder and smiled. He sat back down in the stool and scooted a bit closer.

"Now remember, if you hurt me or any of my men, I'll slaughter the rest of your friends," Alvin said with a smile, "Now, tell me how your journey began." Hiccup stared at the viking with such sullen eyes. He felt like giving up there, he was under this guy's thumb. He had so many secrets, but he couldn't let his friends die, knowing he was the key to their survival.

"Come on now, don't be shy," Alvin said, "Or do I need to persuade you somehow?" Hiccup shook his head and swallowed hard, feeling so sick, weak, and hungry.

"I...I...I woke up one morning...and I just...changed into a dragon," Hiccup said, glancing up at Alvin, expecting a scornful or disbelieved face, but, he looked almost understanding. It was strange, but he knew the chief was just trying to manipulate him.

"Toothless helped me cope with it, and I convinced my tribe that it was for the better. Then, Dagur attacked Berk, but we held him off and defeated him. Time passed and I went to an emergency conference with other tribes with my dad and...and Toothless...and we convinced the tribes...well...some of the tribes that dragons are not our enemies. A few of the tribes came to Berk afterwards to learn about dragon riding. The new Berserker chief, Iona, was there with a few of her men. She offered only peace. We trained and after a while, Dagur returned with another army. We defeated him again...this time for good. Iona killed him. After that...after that the tribes left and Berk went back to normal," Hiccup said softly, muttering occasionally and skipping over many details. Alvin was rubbing his beard, interested by the story but looked rather deep in thought.

"What happened next?" Alvin asked suddenly.

"What?" Hiccup asked. Alvin got closer, and stared at the dragon intently.

"What. Happened. Next," Alvin said again, clearer with his statement. Hiccup tried recoiling away from the chief, but the chains kept him locked in place. He flinched at the words. Alvin noticed and backed away slightly, but his intense gaze remained.

"S-some outsiders came...came to Berk a-and...and they were being chased by something, dragons I think, like none I've heard of before. They destroyed most of Berk, and I thought I saw an Outcast ship so, so...so we came here looking for answers," Hiccup said, starting to feel more pressured. Alvin nodded his head and ran his hand over his beard once again.

"These...outsiders...was one of them...a boy, Tatsuo by any chance?" Alvin said. Hiccup looked a bit shocked, and certainly failed to hide it. The Night Fury shook his head in response.

"I thought so," he said with a devilish look, "If that boy and his family stay on Berk, well, Berk won't be around too much longer." The Outcast got up out of his stool and left the room, leaving behind only the sounds of his fading footsteps, and two guards standing firmly outside the doorway. Hiccup didn't know whether or not to believe Alvin. He was called Alvin the Treacherous for a reason, but still, those words hung in his heart. It worried him deeply, and he just hoped that all he said saved his friends lives, at least for the time being. By now, Berk has to know something went wrong. They've been gone for...actually...Hiccup didn't know how long they were gone. It felt like maybe a day or so had passed, but it could've been weeks by now, he just didn't know.

"They'll be here," Hiccup whispered to himself, "They have too."

* * *

><p>Toothless stared down at the floor, trying to formulate some sort of escape plan. He was never good at plans, that was usually what Hiccup did, and he was brilliant at it. All Toothless knew for certain was that he was here and so was Hiccup. The metallic taste in his mouth was slowly etching away at what little tolerance he had left for his surroundings.<p>

_"Why give me the key?" _Toothless thought angrily, _"What the hell am I supposed to do with it?"_

The cell doors quietly, and ever so slightly opened and a figure slipped in. Now that it was brighter out, Toothless expected to see his face clearly but was met with a cloaked figure, concealing his identity for whatever reason. The figured held his hand up, waiting for the key which was slid into his head. It was slick with saliva and shone brightly as the sun above reflected off of it. The cloaked viking quietly walked around the dragon, unlocking each chain as he went around as quietly and delicately as possible. Clink, by clink, Toothless felt the chains relaxing and losing their grip.

"Prepare yourself," a voice whispered. Quickly, Toothless dropped to the ground. The Night Fury, not completely release, pulled the muzzle from his mouth and tossed it aside. He opened his mouth a few times, feeling grateful he could move his mouth again. The figure moved towards the cell door and motioned the dragon closer. Toothless watched the figure and walked closer, grabbed the robe with his claws and spinning the figure around and pushing him against the wall.

"Why did you help me?" Toothless asked sternly. The figure just stared at the dragon, too terrified to move.

"Why did you help me?" Toothless asked with more intensity. The figure just shook his head and muttered out a few words.

"I can't understand you," the viking said. Toothless relaxed his grip and the viking slipped away. The figure just ignored the threat that was just given to him and glanced out the cell door. He looked up and down several times and looked back at the Night Fury once last time.

"Just...trust me alright," the viking said grouchily, "You two are leaving."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Okay so I'm really sorry I didn't post stuff for a few weeks. I had finals to prepare for and I had other stuff going on so I never fully got time to sit down and write like I used to. I think I'll be able to start doing weekly again, but if not, I apologize, I will update it when and as soon as I can._**

* * *

><p>"What happened?" Stoick whispered as he stood on the docks of Berk, watching as a small group of dragon riders were approaching. He could from a distance that two dragons were absent, but his mind wouldn't let him believe it until they finally drew close enough to where he could finally confirm that they weren't there.<p>

"Where are they?" Stoick said, louder this time, but still just audible to those around him. Gobber looked at him with sullen eyes, understanding the situation. He knew the chief understood what happened, but that denial was still consuming.

"Where are they?" Stoick shouted loudly and angrily. Astrid only looked away, flinching at the words flung in their direction. She looked around her, seeing Johan just barely hanging onto consciousness, Hookfang showing visible pain from his gashed shoulder, Snotlout showing visible anger for everything he thought he did wrong, ignoring the pain from the several cuts and gashes along his body. Astrid looked down and felt her heart lurch forward as if it was going to burst from her chest. Stormfly had an arrow still lodged in her shoulder, causing her pain every time she moved her wings. Astrid had tried to remove it earlier, but it was just in such an awkward position that she feared she would do more damage than good.

A sharp stinging reminded her of the cut leading up her right eye. She tried going back for Hiccup and one outcast viking swung a sword at her, just barely missing her eye, but cutting her cheek and brow pretty badly. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but blood still coating her face and neck.

_"Why did Stoick send us? Why only us? Why no one else? Was it his pride that kept him from doing so? You'd think after all this, he would learn to trust his son, but...no...he...we just keep making one mistake after another like we just can't learn," _Astrid thought to herself softly, _"And now, Hiccup and Toothless are gone. Two of our greatest vikings and they were captured so easily. We were defeated so easily. I thought all those battles made me stronger. Defending Berk against Dagur...and his armies. Being around them made me want to be stronger...but...I'm no stronger than the day Hiccup changed."_

Stoick paced the decks impatiently, keeping his eyes strained on the incoming dragons and their riders. He could see the horrible condition they were in. They had such low morale, so many injuries, and the absence of two specific dragons. The chief's heart hung low, realizing just how foolish he was letting his only two boys go off with such a small team of vikings. He knew better than anyone what Alvin was capable of. He knew what he could and would do. He knew exactly how dangerous he was. He wasn't Dagur. He didn't just kill, hurt, and cause destruction. He was methodical, he thought things through. He watched from a distance and saw all your weaknesses and when it was opportune for him, he exploited them for his own gain. He was manipulative, clever, and psychotic.

The dragons hit the decks as softly as they could, still hitting hard against it. Stormfly hit the deck awkwardly, sending her to the ground and Astrid into the wood hard a few feet away. The young viking got up and hurried to her dragon's side.

"Gobber!" Astrid called out, "Please help her!" Gobber hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Stoick, seeing the anger in his eyes replaced with guilt and torment. He knew he couldn't do anything to console his friend, his chief. Gobber quickly went over to Astrid, looking around at the deplorable condition the dragons and riders were in. They were in one hell of a fight. It's a miracle they only lost two and not all of them. Gobber felt guilty for feeling that way, but he had to keep positive at a time like this, even if it meant forgetting about the Night Furies for a moment.

The arrow lodged in Stormfly's shoulder looked awful. It was in at such a bad angle that one wrong move to cause serious damage. If he failed, she wouldn't be able to fly for several months, even with a dragon's healing, it wouldn't help in this case, the area was too sensitive. Stormfly hissed and coughed out in pain as Gobber touched the arrow, judging how to get it out safely.

"Damn it! That hurts like hell you know!" Stormfly nearly yelled out, barely able to restrain herself. Astrid got close, hugging her dragon tightly, wanting her to feel better.

"I know...I know, but just work with us here," Astrid said softly, rubbing her dragon's scales soothingly. There was a few deep breaths then a shallow nod.

"Alright, do it," Stormfly hissed out. Gobber took one last look at the arrow and grabbed it firmly causing a pained cry from Stormfly. Astrid hugged tighter and Gobber pulled the arrow out swiftly causing the dragon to roar loudly into the skies, breathing fire in agony. Astrid could feel the strong heat behind her start to sting at her skin before it dissipated quickly.

"Son of a bitch! You mother! God damn it!" Stormfly screamed out, clawing at the ground and pushing herself into Astrid.

"I'm confident I got the arrow out without causing further damage to your nerves and muscles," Gobber said, examining the wound, "Don't stress your wing for the next few days and I think it should be fine, but go see Gothi or Svelta soon, they would know more than me." Astrid nodded at the viking and thanked him. She put her head against her dragon's, helping to calm her down.

"It's over, it's over," Astrid said softly, "Just be glad its over." Stormfly growled angrily but quickly let it die. The dragon sighed softly and breathed deeply a few times, letting it all flush out of her system.

"It'll be over once we get Toothless and Hiccup back," Stormfly nearly whispered out, exhausted from everything leading up till then. It was weird, suddenly feeling so exhausted all at once.

"Lets go find Svelta, and get some rest," Stormfly said, shaking her head to maintain conscious. Astrid pulled away from her dragon and nodded, walking with her dragon back to their home. There was no use trying to stay and discuss what to do next, they were too exhausted to be of any help. If they wanted to be useful, they needed to rest and get their energy back. It was the only way they could get their friends back.

Stoick watched as Astrid and her dragon left the docks. He paced again for a few more moments before walking towards Spitelout. The veteran viking looked weary and defeated, something so uncommon for him. It caught the chief off guard and made him hesitate saying anything. He'd never seen his brother so, uneasy.

"Spitelout, what happened out there?" Stoick said, unable to restrain his voice. The curiosity and anxiety seeped into his voice. Worry, grief, and guilt were so easily painted across the chief's face that it made Spitelout almost angry, showing such weakness in front of one of his subordinates.

"We arrived without any problems. We surveyed the area for around twenty to thirty minutes when we were attacked. The Outcasts were there, and they were expecting us. It was an ambush, plain and simple," Spitelout said with conviction, "As we retreated, Toothless' prosthetic became jammed from an arrow and he fell back down to the island. He was unconscious on the ground and Hiccup went back after him and got himself captured as well. I swear Stoick, that boy is just as crazy as you were back then." Stoick nodded quickly, processing the information. They were expecting us.

"We have a _traitor _among us," Stoick said quickly, "Get back to the Great Hall. Gather all senior vikings. I'm taking whoever it is down." Stoick's voice began to falter as he went on.

"I swear to the gods I'll make sure whoever betrayed us pays. They have my boys, Spite. You _know_ what they'll do to them. You know they'll break them down," Stoick said, beginning to get angry again, "Let's go, I'm not letting this happen anymore."

* * *

><p>Astrid couldn't sleep for another night. It had been three days and still, nothing was being done about Toothless and Hiccup. She always tried to sleep, to get rest, but the fear kept her awake. This night, she wasn't in her bed like usual. She as on the floor, sleeping with Stormfly, curled up next to her with the dragon's wing drapped over her, keeping her warm and content. Even that warmth, that familiar warmth, that familiar scent, none of it would ease her ever active mind.<p>

_"At least Stormfly is sleeping fine," _Astrid thought to herself, seeing her Nadder look so peaceful sleeping. The young viking wished she could dose off like that, but sleep was hard to come by these past few days. To make things even better, Astrid could see the sun starting to rise. She slowly slipped out from under Stormfly and made her way outside. The morning was unusually warm and comfortable and the air had a strange feeling. She didn't quite like the feeling.

Shouting in the distance attracted Astrid's attention as it drew closer and closer. She could recognize Stoick's voice along with several other senior vikings. They were heading towards the center of the village with Stoick calling to every viking, telling them to join him. The other senior vikings were showing their disapproval and shouting back in hopes to deter any group being formed.

Astrid walked towards the center of the village, hearing the sounds of Stoick as he shouted into the air, catching most of what he was saying.

"Arm yourselves vikings of Berk! Prepare an armada! We are attacking the Outcasts today! We are getting our vikings back! We are getting our dragons back!" Stoick shouted into the air, "We will not show weakness, cowardice, hesitance! We will show those damned Outcasts who we are! We will teach them to never mess with Berk vikings! We will send them screaming into the gates of Helheim!" Vikings around him rose with battle cries, gathering more and more men as the seconds passed by. Astrid could see the chief gathering together his best men and forming strategies. She could see the fire in his eyes, the burning desire for revenge. This wasn't just a display of power and dominance, it was the start of a destructive path that led back towards Hiccup and Toothless.

Astrid's chest tightened. She knew the chief was making a mistake, being so hasty with this sudden attack. Judging from the frantic faces of other senior vikings, they'd been discussing what the next plan was for the last few days. Finally, Stoick had enough and would take his boys back by force. Astrid starting walking, then running towards the chief, hoping, just hoping she could change his mind.

Stoick was yelling out orders and pointing to paper, making hasty marks and gathering diagrams of the Outcast island. His eyes still held that ferocity.

"Stoick!" Astrid yelled, receiving no response, "Stoick!" She yelled louder and yet her words seemed to past right through the chief. Finally, she took strong steps toward the chief, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at her leader. Stoick looked down, shocked to see Astrid of all people pointing a sword at him.

"Do I have your attention now?" She asked loudly. She held the sword out to her chief who hesitantly took it back, sheathing it and looking at this young viking angrily. The vikings around her were still shocked that should would pull such an act, one that could easily be called treason.

"Think about what your doing!" Astrid yelled, "You think this hasty invasion is going to work? You think just rushing it with a makeshift plan is going to solve anything? You're going to kill so many vikings like this! And for what? The hope that you might be able to get your son back? The hope that you could get your boys back?" Stoick stared at the girl, noting her opinions, but choosing to ignore them. He pushed past her and headed towards the dock, shouting out orders, one after the other.

"Ready the ships! Stock up supplies! Prepare yourself for war!" Stoick shouted. Astrid looked on, faltering for only a moment before she went after the chief once again.

"Use your head Stoick! Ask yourself what Hiccup would do! Would he really want you to do this? Act so hastily and endanger so many lives because you can't deal with the grief?" Stoick whipped around and glared at the girl so small in comparison.

"You think you know me girl? You think you know what I'm feeling? You think you know what its like to have the last of your family ripped away from you again because you were too stupid, too ignorant to realize just how dangerous the situation was? I lost her and I'm not losing him either! I'm not losing either of them!" Astrid stared at Stoick with almost as much intensity. She glared at him, thinking so little of him.

"You think I don't know what loss is? You honestly think I don't know what loss is? Did you honestly forget that I lost my greatest friend in the world? Did you seriously forget that I lost my whole world when my sister died? My role model, my hero, the girl I aspire so much to be like? You honestly think I don't know what its like? Or how about when my dad died? Huh? I watched as he was torn in half by a Nightmare! No child should ever have to see that! When my step-dad nearly got killed when Dagur first attacked? How do you think I feel knowing that two of my closest friends are out there suffering? Being tortured and hurt and I can't do a fucking thing about it! I haven't slept, I haven't eaten! I can't do anything with this fucking weight in my chest, fearing that I'll lose them too!" Astrid screamed out loudly, watching as Stoick's expression changed, "You honestly think you're the only one who knows what its like to lose everything?"

Stoick stared at Astrid, not entirely sure how to respond. He knew how selfish he was acting, he knew just how stupid he had been acting. He thought he could change, stop acting on impulse, acting like he was always right to hide his true feelings. He realized just how little he really had changed. He felt like he was the same man that almost killed Toothless. He felt afraid of himself.

"Stoick! Outcast ships are approaching!" a viking yelled to Stoick, rushing to his chief. Stoick snapped out of his momentary daze and looked at the viking with surprise.

"What?" Stoick shouted out, looking towards the ocean. Sure enough, he could see several ships heading towards the docks of Berk.

"Ready yourselves! Do not act until my orders!" Stoick barked out, running towards the docks. This was the last thing Stoick expected from the Outcasts, but he knew they were here to bargain. The question was, what did that want to bargain for.

* * *

><p>Astrid's heart pounded as she watched the primary ship dock. She was only a few feet behind Stoick, at the head of the entire Berk army, but she felt so far away from her friends. She felt so powerless, yet powerful, breakable, yet unbreakable, confident, yet doubtful.<p>

The ship hit the front of the docks hard, causing the wooden structure to shake under her feet. She could see several shapes moving on the ship in the distance. A figure hopped down from the vessel, one ragged and dirty looking man. From the one or two times she'd seen him before, she knew it was Alvin. He whistled and a dragon was thrown from the top of the boat. The Night Fury hit the ground hard, eliciting a harsh pained cry from the dragon. Astrid immediately recognized it as Hiccup and brought her hands up to her mouth.

Hiccup was picked up by the throat and dragged along behind Alvin. The Outcast chief stopped in his tracks, looking around at the Berk vikings glaring him down. He smiled wickedly and dropped the dragon in front of him.

Hiccup was coughing loudly, wheezing and fighting for air on the ground. He was chained and bound in so many places and ways. His wings were restrained, his arms were locked together behind him and his legs were chained together with his tail. It looked painful and horrible. Hiccup himself was in such a horrible state. He looked weak, and frail. His eyes looked sullen and defeated. He was breathing hard. He was covered with cuts, and gashes. He'd been tortured. Hiccup tried to speak, something, anything, but he hardly had the energy to do much. They didn't even bother to restrain his mouth. They knew just as well as he did how used and beaten he was.

Hiccup struggled to keep his eyes open, watching as the vikings around him looked at him with horror, anger, frustration, sorrow, and worst of all...pity. He couldn't stand being humiliated like this. Beaten, tortured, and so weak and put on display. He could barely manage words.

The Night Fury could see the pure rage in his father's eyes. It didn't take a genius to see that. He let his father down. He felt like he failed him yet again. Always being beaten and tossed around like a rag doll because he tried to pretend like he was stronger than he was. He had hardly grown at all this last year. He was still that same scared boy who turned into a dragon. He was still a burden, he was still needing to be rescued. All he wanted to do was show he could be strong too...and he failed.

His body hurt and ached so much. His mind was fuzzy and it was hard to concentrate. The world around him was swirling slowly, making him understand the situation one moment, and forget where he was the next.

"Alvin!" Stoick shouted angrily, "You touch another scale on my son and I'll make sure you are the first of your men to die!" Hiccup could hear his dad yelling across the harbor. He caught most of it in his distorted state. He could hear Alvin laughing behind him loudly. Alvin whispered something, but he couldn't catch it. Suddenly, he was pulled onto two feet. His back was pressed flat against Alvin's stomach and he could feel something hard against his throat. It didn't quite register at first, but it soon dawned on him that a knife was being held at his throat. Hiccup could see every viking tense up and freeze.

"I suggest you start taking the situation realistically Stoick," Alvin said menacingly, "Drop him!" Another crashing sound echoed throughout the harbor as the other dragon was dropped onto the docks. Savage grabbed a hold of the larger dragon and dragged him over to Alvin and tossed him next to his chief before taking a few steps back.

Hiccup slowly looked over and saw his mate, in worse condition that he was. Toothless was unconscious and slowly breathing, chained up more than he was. They knew his strength and they took every precaution. They knew Hiccup was weak and they didn't worry too much. At least, that's what went through Hiccup's mind.

"Toothless?" Hiccup barely whispered out, "Toothless wake-"

"Quiet," Alvin hissed harshly, increasing the pressure on the dragon's neck. Hiccup winced at the pain, finding it harder to breath.

"Bring me the boy and the dragon," Alvin shouted out. Hiccup's head rung from the sudden loud noise so close to his ear.

"What boy?" Stoick shouted back in confusion.

"That boy Tatsuo and his dragon! Now! Or I will kill your son's mate over here!" Alvin yelled as Savage drew a sword and held it above Toothless' head. Hiccup's heart started to pound with what little strength it had. Out of it and dazed, Hiccup's fear of losing Toothless was to the point where he just couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything.

There was a few minutes of nothing, but it felt like hours had gone by. Hiccup just wanted it all to end. This humiliation, this fear, it all had to end. He hoped no one could notice what they did to him. He hoped Toothless didn't hear back then.

Hiccup blinked and he thought he must have passed out because when he opened them again, he could see little Ryuu in the distance. He felt like smiling to let him know everything was going to be okay, but he couldn't move.

Astrid stared on, hardly able to contain her growing resentment and anger. The last thing she wanted to do was give these bastards what they wanted. How could they get Toothless and Hiccup back without giving up Tatsuo and Ryuu?

_"Think Astrid, just think," _Astrid thought frantically.

"Send them over and we'll leave peacefully," Alvin said, "And no, we won't hand over your dragons first. Give us the boy and his dragon and we'll leave these two right here."

Stoick was grinding his teeth together, hardly being able to stand dealing with these monsters. There was no one he could do this. These were his boys, but he just couldn't just sacrifice people for his own gains. He couldn't give up two Berk residents, he couldn't force them to leave.

"Mr. Hiccup! Mr. Toothless!" A tiny voice yelled out, rushing towards the two Night Furies.

"No! Wait!" Stoick shouted, reaching out for the little dragon, but unable to stop him. Quickly following him was Tatsuo, chasing after Ryuu in hopes to stop him and get him back to safety.

Hiccup's heart nearly stopped when he saw the little figure rush towards him. Hiccup's life nearly ended when he saw such an innocent little dragon get grabbed and thrown onto the ship, screaming out for Hiccup. His mind went blank as he saw Tatsuo knocked unconscious and thrown onto the ship roughly. His heart only had one reaction when he heard Alvin mutter out those two words.

"Kill him," he said under his breath, "We're taking this one back with us." Hiccup saw Savage raise the sword up quickly and go downwards. He wasn't too sure how it happened, but somehow he had found just enough energy to send a plasma blast into the floor below them. The next thing Hiccup knew, he was hitting the docks hard, rolling several feet before stopping a good ten feet away from his dad. He looked around weakly, seeing Toothless not too far away. He could see his mate breathing. He could see the boat leaving quickly. Finally, he could see the shroud of black quickly surrounding him, darkness overtaking him as the distant screams and shouts rang out into the sky, distorted and muted by his fading senses. Then his eyes closed.


	9. Chapter 9

_Aaand here we go with another chapter. Don't hate me...all will eventually be resolved...in due time._

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><p>Stoick stood on the docks, remembering the events that had unfolded only a few hours ago. The boards were still burnt and destroyed where Hiccup managed to fight off his captors with one final blast, sending both the dragons far enough away. Hiccup saved his mate, and himself, but Stoick knew that when his child awoke, he would have contempt towards Berk and it's leader. The old chief sighed inwards and turned away from the ocean, heading back towards the Great Hall.<p>

"I let them escape with two innocent boys," Stoick said aloud, as if he were talking to someone right next to him, "I need to own up to what I did and get them back. I need to own up to my mistakes and quit being the Stoick that used to exist. I can't be that Stoick again. I can't let myself become the same Stoick who disowned Hiccup, who nearly killed Toothless, who made foolish and reckless decisions. I tried once before to change and I failed. Not anymore. I can't. This isn't an option. I have to change."

Several villagers stared at their chief as he walked towards the Great Hall, talking to himself and to the world around him. They felt uneasy, yet at rest. They had faith in their leader, they had faith in Stoick. They know more than Stoick how much he had changed. He was far from the same man that long year ago. He had a stronger will, stronger morals, stronger mind, stronger love. He had become more powerful than he had ever been before. His mind was clearer, and he let his heart guide him rather than his instincts. He relied on his mind and those around him. Most importantly, they knew he had a greater grasp of what was at stake every day. He had so much more worth fighting for.

"Today is the day when everything changes."

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><p>The first sensation Hiccup felt when he was woken from his deep sleep was an uneasy feeling. The slight movements of his body were rewarded with slight stings and aches that sent shivers through his being. It seemed like every inch of his dragon body had some injury, whether it be a small scratch, bad bruise, or just plain in pain. Hiccup felt mildly unhappy with himself, realizing that even with better healing capabilities, this body still had its limits. Hiccup slowly moved his head around, getting used to the sensations pulsating in and around his neck and head. It wasn't so unpleasant as it was annoying. Anther hindrance to be added on top of the unfortunate situations he found himself and Toothless in countless times.<p>

It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust before Hiccup realized he was in his old room. A dim candle was the only source of light that flickered around the room. The room hadn't been used in so long, yet seemed to be exactly the way he left it. His bed was still a mess, pillows upturned and tossed around, sheets and blankets thrown about, random claw marks and singes around the bedding thanks to nightmares. His book shelf was barely filled with anything besides old books his father had kept there. Hiccup remembered how his father would always glance at the books, keeping his gaze there for a short while before he looked away. He would always whisper how much he missed her. How much he longed to hear her voice reading out those words once again.

Only the dragon and his thoughts were present in the otherwise vacant and bare room. Anything of value had been in Hiccup's home before it was lost, all consumed by the fire that plagued the village not too long ago. It still stained the minds of the Berk inhabitants, but no matter how much they wished it was a harsh nightmare, reality always brought them back into its harsh and cruel grasp.

Hiccup felt so impressionable, as if his surroundings were slowly becoming him. Any bit of emotion, any bit of personality could be reflected onto him, even if it was totally opposite of who he was. He was grieving, and angry and wanted to escape who he once was. He didn't want to feel weak. He was scared that his mind would pull him into a fantasy where he would become a jaded dragon who just wanted to kill those who did him harm. Even worse, he was scared that fantasy, would become reality in some way.

Hiccup tried to pull himself up off the cot he was laying on when his legs gave out under him. The dragon felt weak and numb throughout his lower body as if he'd been dunked into freezing waters. He fell back onto the cot with a soft thud and let out a short cry of surprise. Hiccup sat there for a few moments, staring at his own legs and realizing how weak he felt. He knew all he'd been through, but he thought, no, he wished he was stronger than that.

Staring at his legs, Hiccup noticed a small sack next to his cot. Swiping it closer with his tail, Hiccup picked it up and slowly undid the strings keeping the contents from spilling out. The dragon peered inside and saw books and papers neatly strung together. Hiccup turned the bag upside down and let the contents fall into his paw, grabbing them as firmly as he could. Laying them down, he realized what these were. They were the books he'd left on the hill that night when the flames ravaged his once beautiful home.

_"How?" _Hiccup thought with astonishment and curiosity. Footsteps attracted Hiccup's attention as they made their way up the stairs. They stopped for a moment, as if hesitating on whether or not to enter or leave. Whoever it was chose the first option as they slowly pushed open the door with a loud and slightly sickening creak.

"Hiccup?" A soft voice called out. Hiccup immediately recognized it as Astrid. The young viking slowly pushed the door open more, peering into the room as if she was a shy little girl. Hiccup blinked almost blankly at her before he let out a somewhat monotone reply.

"Hello," the dragon said, almost unaware that he was talking, "How is Toothless?" Astrid stepped into the room more, closing the door behind her.

"He's okay, resting over with Svelta. You've been out for a good twelve hours," Astrid said softly and quickly as if to avoid much conversation. The viking girl messed with her shirt before she walked closer to the dragon, sitting on the bed near him. Hiccup could see that she was fiddling with her thumbs as if she was nervous.

"Is everything okay Astrid?" Hiccup asked, finally able to bring back some emotion into his voice. Astrid glanced over at him and nodded her head quickly. The viking got up quickly and went over to him. Hiccup felt a bit confused as the girl bent down and stared into his eyes. He could see sadness, anger, frustration, and so many more emotions as swimming in her eyes. Slowly but surely, Astrid moved in closer and brought her arms around the dragon softly, hugging him gently.

"I know Hiccup, I know what they did to you," Astrid whispered softly as if it was an ultimately taboo to ever mutter those words. Hiccup understood what she mean't, but honestly, he really wished and hoped he didn't. He hoped she was talking about something completely different.

"They tortured me," Hiccup said, "I've taken a beating before and I'll continue to do it." Astrid let her hug slowly loosen as she pulled back to look into the dragon's eyes. She shook her head with this face that struck into Hiccup's core. The way her eyes became sullen and lifeless. The way her face suddenly seemed so pale and ghostly. The way the few tears rolled down her face seemed so icy and rigid with anguish.

"I helped Svelta take care of you Hiccup. She's seen it before. She says it happens to prisoners of war often. She told me to keep quite. Hiccup I'm so sorry," Astrid said, holding back tears, "I should've been there, Berk should've been there for you two, but we waited and waited and it happened and I-" Hiccup raised a paw up to the girls mouth, not wanting her to speak anymore. He didn't want anymore grief in his life. He knew she mean't well, but right now, all he wanted to do was feel normal again, see Toothless, and get stronger. He had to get stronger so he wouldn't get hurt, so the people around him wouldn't get hurt, so he could stop all the horrid people in the world. He felt so weak. He didn't want to be weak. He didn't want to be this Hiccup anymore, he wanted to change who he was, yet he was scared of losing all of what he was. He wanted to be someone else, he needed a personality to adopt.

"I know," Hiccup said, "It's our fault really." Astrid looked at Hiccup with cold surprise. She hit him hard, eliciting a loud cry from him as she punched a heavily bruised area. She stared at him, her cold sadness turning to cold anger. Cold anger. It made Hiccup feel a little different inside. That pain made him angrier. That pain made him want to hunt them down.

_"Cold...hard...detached...I could kill them like that...the Hiccup I know wouldn't have to bear that burden...that kid wouldn't be able to take the guilt," _the dragon thought to himself.

"Don't you ever say it was your fault," She said softly. She looked at him for a few moments then hugged him again, whispering another apology into his ear. Pulling away, the viking made herself comfortable in front of the dragon and looked at him with expecting eyes.

"Tell me everything," Astrid said softly, "You need to tell me everything. We need the information, and I want to help you Hiccup." The dragon stared at the girl and processed the information slowly. He understand what was needed from him, and he understood Astrid's intentions. In order to grow, he had to first get passed the obstacles and the emotions that kept him stunted. He nodded.

"I woke up in a cell, alone and chained to the ground. I don't know how long I was in there alone, only barely getting food. It was always just enough to keep me alive. I was always being guarded and kept an eye on, but I never did anything. There was nothing I could do. All I had was one window high up off the ground that gave me a little light and just enough hope to keep me moving forward. I didn't give up, but I came close many, many times. There was one kind guard that always gave me more food and water, taking care of me. He or she always gave me just a little more hope. Then, Alvin came into my cell and questioned me. He used everyone against me, saying he had you two and that he would kill every one of you guys if I didn't talk. I thought they killed Johan's dragon before...I thought they killed a few of you guys. I couldn't take the risk so I answered whatever question they had. They never asked about Berk and its defenses, nothing useful that would benefit them during a battle or invasion. All they asked about was Ryuu and that boy. I don't know why they wanted them, but they have them now. I saw them get dragged off right in front of my eyes. I watched as Berk traded their souls for ours. How could dad do that Astrid? How could he even think about doing it? I know he didn't, but that fact is, because of us, because of his moments of weakness, two innocent kids are in Outcast hands! Astrid, we-," Hiccup softly confessed, cutting himself off. He knew venting wasn't the right course of action at the moment, and there was always going to be time for him to do that alone. He didn't want to burden anyone, but with each passing word, it was like weights were being lifted off Hiccup's shoulders. Astrid only watched, occasionally nodding as she received the information, offering an brief moment of weakness before returning to her cold state. Hiccup sighed softly before returning to his words.

"After I told him what he wanted, he left. I did hear him say that Ryuu and Tatsuo would destroy the village. I don't know why he would say that or why he would think that. I don't know why they would. They have no reason. Tatsuo lost his father, Ryuu lost his family. Berk seems like the only place for them now. Why would anyone want to destroy their home? Why would Alvin? Why would any sane person?" Astrid held up a hand and silenced the dragon quickly.

"Hiccup, stay on topic," she said softly. Even though she kept a cold appearance, Hiccup could see in her eyes those feelings of anger and vengeance as they cascaded through her eyes. Hiccup stared at her for a moment and then nodded softly, returning to his story.

"Then after a while, I heard forces outside again. It was the one kind guard and Toothless. I didn't quite believe it at first, then the door was unlocked and...and there he was. My dragon in shining scales. He came over and undid my chains and we quickly followed the guard. We got outside when alarms suddenly went off and the guard disappeared and we were caught. After that, I was thrown back into my cell and beaten, tortured," Hiccup stopped for a moment, taking a few deep breaths and continuing on, finding it difficult to admit what happened, "When Alvin thought I had learned my lesson, he told them to stop. He left saying to tie me up and leave me alone for a while and to not feed me until absolutely necessary. They all said they were gonna leave but they didn't. They chained me up and exposed me. They were laughing and joking about all the things they were gonna do to me. I was terrified..." Inside Hiccup's head, the entire situation was running on replay over and over again, reliving the worst parts.

Hiccup remembered how he was tied down and exposed. The few guards around him were laughing and snickering, asking each other how 'his night fury ass was gonna feel.' He remembered being absolutely terrified. He could barely move his head as he threw a few glances back, catching glimpses of the guards as they took off their clothes. His heart was pounding, his eyes were tearing up. The strap around his mouth kept him from calling out. He could only scream out muffled words. He felt hands grab his hips and pull him closer. He could feel someone's dick rubbing against him. It felt so terrifying, so unbelievable, so disgusting that it someone other than his mate. He remember how the guard pushed in without any warning or lubrication. It was just a raw rubbing that hurt so much. He remembered how he screamed for his life for it to all stop, how he pulled against the chains, how the guards laughed and got even more turned on by his thrashing and agony. The guard was fucking him so roughly and hard that it felt like it was never going to end. Tears streamed out of Hiccup as he cried out for someone, anyone to save him. He could feel the man release himself inside. It was the worst feeling Hiccup had ever felt. This was a display of humiliation, dominance, and cruelty so great, it started to instill hate in Hiccup's heart. That coldness, that detached heart, that anger slowly swelled in his heart, consuming who he was with each passing second. Another guard had his turn, ripping off Hiccup's mouth guard. He went straight it, taking joy in listening to Hiccup scream and cry into the cell. One after another had their fill and a fourth was getting close. Hiccup was almost unconscious at that point, barely able to feel much as his body started shutting down. All he knew was that someone had come in and forced the guards out. The last thing he could remember was arms around him, holding him so gently, telling him everything was going to be okay. The arms were so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time. Something sweet yet bitter about that voice.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked softly, snapping him out of his daze. Hiccup looked at Astrid quickly, bringing his full attention to her. Astrid stared back into those green eyes, scared of what she saw. An emotion she never saw before in his eyes, even when Dagur was mentioned or around, she never saw it on this level before. It was pure hatred. He wanted to kill the men who did this to him. He wanted to watch them suffer the way he did. It was something so unlike Hiccup that it was like she was looking at a completely different dragon. Some feral beast out for blood and revenge.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked sharply when Astrid continued to stare.

"Don't," Astrid said softly, "You know killing them won't solve anything."

"It would be a nice start though," Hiccup said coldly.

"This isn't you Hiccup," Astrid said roughly, "This-this dragon isn't the Hiccup I know. Its some devilish being that really is the offspring of lightning and death itself. Some demon that craves blood."

"Maybe thats a good thing Astrid," Hiccup said, almost smiling a bit, "I'm dealing with my problems by killing the people who started them. It shows how much of a viking I really am. I'll kill those Outcasts and get Ryuu back. If they touch him in anyway I'll spill their guts onto the ground."

Astrid stared at Hiccup, hardly able to contain her emotions.

_"How could've he changed so much?" _Astrid thought, _"From that scared kid who turned into a dragon, that was physically weak and kinda incapable but had such a strong heart, set of morals, and will, that was kind, generous, and willing to help any and everybody no matter who they were or where they came from, he became this detached angel of death who craved the taste of blood. She couldn't see compassion in his eyes anymore. It was just blank. It was all just blank."_

"The Hiccup I know doesn't kill people," Astrid said firmly. Hiccup stared at the girl, his gaze softening for a few moments before becoming razor sharp once again.

"Maybe the Hiccup you know doesn't exist anymore," the dragon called Hiccup said flatly. Astrid stared at Hiccup, unable to comprehend what her friend was becoming. The viking stood up quickly and ran from the room, kicking the door open and sprinting down the stairs and out towards Svelta's. She knew at this point, there was only one person who would ever be capable of mending Hiccup's shattered self.

She needed Toothless.

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><p>Hiccup sat alone in the room, staring at the door that was kicked open and left barely hanging from its hinges. Scattered on the floor were tiny wet splotches where her tears fell in rapid succession. Her heart was on her sleeve for those few moments, letting the world gander at her innermost feelings. Hiccup saw how terrified she was of him. He saw how angry she was, whether it was at the world, herself, the Outcasts, or at him, it was nearly scaring him.<p>

The one thing he never showed to Astrid, however, was the just below the surface, the feelings he kept just out of sight, were scaring him the most. He truly felt hatred and anger, and that scared him. He wanted revenge, he wanted to see them dead, and that scared him. He knew what he was becoming and the person he was losing, and that scared him. He wanted to be himself again, he wanted to have to rely people, to know someone has his back, yet, that still scared him. He wasn't who he once was, and that scared him, terrified him, made him think twice about everything he thought about up until that very point in time. He wanted so badly for that Hiccup he had once been to return.

That anger kept him from his true self.

That cold, barren heart kept him from his morals.

That heart that was growing more detached kept him from his true emotions.

That person he was now, wasn't Hiccup, and that scared him.


End file.
